CBBC'S KATY

Based on Jacqueline Wilson’s retelling of ‘What Katy did’ by Susan Coolidge, three-part children's drama series aired on CBBC show KATY aired 23rd March 2018. Going on to

Win two Children's BAFTAs: for Best Young Performer for Chloe Lea as Katy whilst also winning an award for its Writer Tom Bidwell.  Katy was also nominated for best drama series. 

Katy follows an adventurous young eleven-year-old Katy Carr. Katy lives with her dad stepsister Cece step mum Izzie and half brother Phil. 

After everyone goes off on a swimming trip leaving Katy, who is grounded home all alone, she looks for another way to have fun, Katy decided to build a rope swing which ends is a disaster after it snaps leaving Katy lying helplessly on the floor. 

After being taken to hospital it is discovered that Katy has suffered multiple back injuries and as a result will never be able to walk again. Whilst being stuck In hospital Katy finds comfort in new friend Dexter who she continues to confide in even after being discharged from the hospital. Dexter is also responsible for helping Katy

to create her own series of comic strips for her new titled superhero ‘ smash hornet’ 

Smash Hornet gives Katy an expressing outlet for her pain & anger & a reason to not give up even when her life is falling apart. 

This whole idea of smash Hornet is something I think a lot of people with disabilities or illness would be able to relate to.  

It's no secret that I love stories, especially ones that take me to a different place, time or world. one in which I have no limits and am able to do whatever I want without suffering consequences for any of it. The whole idea that I can be someone else gives me another focus. I have many friends in the same position as me and many who I have made friends with through T.V shows after getting to know them I have then realized they also have chronic diseases or other additional needs. 

Stories for me make life a lot easier and enjoyable when I can't get out  & experience things like other people can. 

Through art, Katy finds a new purpose and sense of self-belief as well as a reason to keep going even when she wants nothing more than to give up. 

This show does an amazing job at highlighting Katy's frustrations & fears whilst being stuck in a hospital and at home as she battles learning how to cope with her new reality. 

One of the most powerful moments for me personally was how accurately I felt Katy's first days back to school we're. 

Anyone who has been absent from school for a long period of time will be able to tell you how daunting it is when you have to re-enter that world.  

Friendship groups move on, people change and generally, No one really knows how to react to you, people think they know what's going on in your life but really they have no idea.

 People who you hardly know you or even people who you do know who you've never got on with start to become creepy nice. Teachers act weird as well when I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome & was only in a few hours a day I found the teachers to be worse than the students. 

None of them really seemed to care & also seemed annoyed when I didn't attend their class. I'd say by the end I probably had about two teachers that I truly believed were on my side & we're doing everything they possibly could to make sure I was caught up & staying on track. 

I know that this show doesn't venture a deeply into school life as I just have but my point is that I could relate to those scenes on a really meaningful level which to me is certainly important & I really hope anyone younger or anyone at all who has experienced these issues & has watched this has been able to not only relate but to take something away from it. 

likewise, it gives school students something to learn from. doing most of the time they're probably just trying to be nice but It can appear creepy especially if you've never spoken to that person. Which is why Eva's character comes across as being so realistic. 

 I also believe or would at least like to believe that gossip only spreads when understanding is needed. Shows like this help people understand to help someone who is having a hard time rather than just gossip about them. 

Miss Hodge was an amazing addition to this by getting one of the girls to test out the wheelchair making them understand more about what daily life is like for Katy

I admired how they made the ending so positive when it could've ended in such a different way. Having Katy completely face some of her biggest fears was a really powerful way to note to end the show on. 

It would be really interesting to see more episodes made to see how Katy continues to cope through everything as she beings to get stronger. 

One more thing that I know is certainly worth a mention of how for the most part the disabled characters were played by disabled actors. I feel this is really important & needs to be highlighted more throughout the television industry. 

Chloe Lea who played Katy was kind enough to allow me to ask her a few questions about her time on the show & what it was like to play learning to play a disabled character despite not having a disability. 

Q1: What did you find most challenging about playing a disabled character?

A. I guess it was hard for me because I’m very fidgety and I found it really challenging to get into the mindset of Katy because she’s very determined and motivated.

Q2: Did you learn anything from playing Katy that has helped you in your own life?

A: I’d like to think so. I learned a lot from the cast about acting and just life in general and I hope what I’ve learned stays with me for the rest of my life.

Q3: Did playing Katy help you see a new side to disability? 

A: Honestly I think I found out more than I knew before but I still think I’ve only seen a fraction of what disability is.

Q4: What do you think made the T.V adaptation of Katy so successful?

A: I think it was the message of the show all around. And for me, the message was that life can throw numerous obstacles at you but you shouldn’t feel deterred because you're not alone. People will always be there to help you. Persevere and stay determined and motivated. Strive to be the best you.

Q5: Would you consider auditioning for another disabled role in the future?

A: mean it completely depends. If it’s that character story of them before they were disabled and when they were disabled then yeah. I feel I can be important to tell that story. But if it’s a character that is already disabled then no. I feel like a disabled actor should play that part.

Disability inclusion in Tracy Beaker Returns & the dumping ground

Moving on to TBR's Gus who I'm ashamed to say I completely forgot about until I was sure I

had forgotten someone. 

Gus is a deep thinker, over analysing everything. This makes him highly intelligent, he is a keen piano player even playing for the local youth orchestra. In order for Gus to be his happiest everything has to have its place & to be in it. With his frequently updated lists of everything ranging from his achievements to things, he does not understand along with his jam-packed diaries make things easier to uncover when troubles arise.

This is apparent in the episode "Firestarter" where after a fire is started in the DG attic Gus ropes in Tracy to uncover its origins. This is where his. ability to deeply comprehend events & schedule them within a timetable becomes an enormous help in piecing together the truth to discover that new care worker Denise is the culprit. In the process of not getting found out has placed the blame upon Harry & Kitty two children in his care. 

There are a few other episodes that really highlight Gus & Frank, along with the impacts of Asperger's syndrome & cerebral palsy. One of these being "Refugees". In this episode, they both discover ways to use their own challenges to bring to light a mystery surrounding a pair of young refugee boys. 

Gus is able to use his brilliant strategic skills to figure out not only where they have come from, distinguishing their entire journey from their hometown and bringing to light why they fled it. Frank is able to use his love for football to engage with the boys allowing them to feel more at ease. 

Another episode I feel I need to mention is "the visitors" this is set an episode before, previously mentioned episode "Firestarter". In this episode, a couple of kids along with their care worker Denise arrives at the DG after a fire breaks out in his care home. One of the children Kitty like Gus seems to have sensory issues & presumably also some form of autism. Only their care worker Denise who has come with her from Burnywood has little or no idea of how to react or treat Kitty or for that matter Gus. 

He completely overreacts to her outbursts causing more stress & upset for everyone involved. I found his character a really complex one because I know from dealing with myself in these situations that having the right support among other things such as reactions are so important. Any more added stress makes the whole situation so much worse. 

There are also many people who don't know how to react, so instead get frustrated. I think portraying characters like Denise is extremely crucial. People can learn what not to do, get a better understanding of the situations and how to learn from them. 

Throughout Gus's time on the show, we get many scenes of him struggling with sensory overdrive. As someone who struggles with sensory issues and has for a few years, I've realized that it's not something shown on T.V much if at all. 

Many people suffer from sensory overdrive for many reasons, reactions to things vary from person to person but if you can see it coming, you can learn how to help make the situation easier for the person dealing with sensory issues. 

I know I have already spoken a lot but Gus but another episode that really allows Gus to shine is

The dumping ground opener episode "Home Alone" where despite being a resident herself, Faith is acting head care worker. Nothing is as it should be with a noise battle breaking out between Rick & Frank & fights between the other residents. Gus struggles to cope as he plummets into sensory overdrive. Leaving him to pull the pin from an old hand grenade found in the DG garden. 

Luckily the residents manage to divert the grenade into the cellar, but in order to dispose of it, the army has to cause a little explosion first. 

I found It intreating to see how no one seemed to pick up on Gus's issues throughout this episode other than Johnny who does his best to fix the problem,

Everyone does begin to realise that is going on and by the end of "home alone," we see all of the residents coming together in order to help Gus keep everything in order. So he feels calm and at ease. 

Gus's dumping ground journey comes to a close when in the episode " What would Gus want" when he is fostered by a couple named Ronnie and Dawn. One of which also seems to have some form of autism, meaning that it will be easier for him to settle down with them as he knows someone already understands. 

It is also an exceptionally good episode at displaying Gus's thoughts, emotions, together with his fears. 

Highlighting how everyone else in the house feels about Gus's strange habits, reactions and outbursts. It also proves that like I've said before if predisposed to disability or illness it makes you more understanding of it. Which is clear to see at the end of this episode when everyone helps to arrange Gus's belongings in a way that will be easy for him to interpret when he arrives at his new home. 

By this point in the show after failing his GCSES Frank turns to cafe work where he meets a psychic who claims to have connections to his Grandad. This develops into more upset for Frank as he soon realizes he once again has been conned by someone he trusted.  Realising this he then puts his brain into action. Beginning to think about his future rather than his past.

But being eighteen means leaving Asdeen Ridge to live in his own flat.

Series two episode five "finding Frank" is where it becomes apparent that he is having trouble with life outside care. And has once again been caught up in a scam, this time including a gang of fraudsters who live within his block of flats. 

After scouring the streets Frank's friends soon discover he has lost all his money, befriended a refuge named Kazima who lives with him in squat housed under a bridge. 

Determined to win back all his savings Frank agrees to play his old housemates at cards. The prize being handed down pocket watch. Which once again he has to re~claim after selling in order to pay off his debts.  

The fraudsters win meaning the watch is then handed over, but a plan is soon devised that ensures they get a taste of their own medicine. 

 pretending to have a valuable ring, the friends play the fraudsters at cards winning back Frank's belongings including pocket watch and stolen money. 

In order to help with Frank's future ambitions, Mike arranges work experience for both him & Faith. But it backfires after a confrontation with best friend Liam, who has completed ignored him after moving in with his brother. 

Later on, Liam confides that the only reason he did not keep in touch was that he was embarrassed that his singing career had not taken off. Frank then later has Liam's brother walk in on Liam playing his track "Tail Lights" a song he has written as an apology for selling a news story to the paper. 

Eventually gaining a degree in business studies Frank moves in with Liam also becoming his manager. But still keeps in touch with his friends from asdeen Ridge. 

In series three he helps Kazima hide from immigration when she fears she will be sent back to Somalia.  A knock at the door causes Kazima to run, although a worried Carmen & Mike convince Frank to take then to their old homeless spots in search of missing Kazima. Who is later granted asylum. Allowing her to stay in the country. 

A few years later Frank is called upon to help save the DG when their neighbour is planning to knock it down. He does this by pretending to work for the council's archaeology department setting up a scam to trick the developers into believing that the DG plot lies underneath ancient ruins. 

When this plan fails he helps Tyler look into the planning application, coming to the conclusion that their neighbour Mr.Umbelbee is not only selling Ashdeen Ridge to a developer.  But is also selling his own home, In order to gain a luxury five-bedroom executive mansion. Confronting Mr Umbelbee leads to him 

admitting his plans along with framing Alex for a theft. He is then backed into a corner to do the right thing before footage of him admitting his arrangements is uploaded to social media for the world to see. 

 Victory is celebrated with early Christmas festivities. 

 Frank is also a key player in tracking down Mike when he goes missing on his wedding day and is featured in 2015's dumping ground dish up. 

I hope you all enjoyed my findings on disability in Tracy Beaker Returns. 

This was really fun to do, I have really enjoyed watching back all the episodes and being able to reminisce about all my old memories throughout the time the show was on the air. 

I have also written about some early dumping ground episodes as well as other Frank episodes as doing it this way was easier and also allows it to be kept in some form of order rather than spreading it out all over the place. 

If anyone is interested in the episodes I watched included:

Series 1:

☆Home Alone

☆Anarchy in the dg

☆Secrets

☆Sisters

☆Good luck boy

☆By the book

Series 2:

☆Refugees 

☆Money

☆Grandad

Series 3:

☆The visitors 

☆Firestarter

The dumping ground:

Series 1:

☆what would Gus want? 

☆the truth is out there

Series 2:

☆Finding Frank

☆Face the music 

Series 3:

☆Refugee 

Series 5:

☆ What lies beneath 

Series 6:

☆Missing presumed Single 

Christmas charity single for Alder Hey Children's hospital

Before even entering this world, three year old Catherine Cattle was diagnosed with a condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. Tetralogy of Fallot is a combination of four congenital abnormalities. This includes a ventricular septal defect (VSD), pulmonary valve stenosis, a misplaced aorta and a thickened right ventricular wall (right ventricular hypertrophy). 

Catherine's hometown was all set to be the Isle of Man, but a case as complex as Catherine's meant she would require life saving surgery as quickly as possible. 

No Isle of Man doctor had the skills to perform the surgery she so desperately needed. This lead Catherine's mum Emily to make the decision of giving birth miles from home In Liverpool. Meaning Catherine, just after birth, could be sent straight to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. 

In order for the surgery to go ahead, Cathrine's anxious parents had to wait for five weeks. Catherine was slowly dying by the time Mr. Ram Dhannapuneni, a cardio thoracic surgeon and Head of ‘Healing Hearts’ at Alder Hey was able to perform this life saving surgery. The surgery took six hours. Catherine lay unconscious as a bypass machine whirled blood and oxygen round her body.  Luckily, her operation was a success and although still closely monitored by Alder Hey she is now a lively, happy, healthy three year old girl. 

Every year Mr. Ram Dhannapuneni, along with his team, perform around 

 450 congenital surgeries. Many children who walk through the doors or Alder Hey have  complex medical conditions such as childhood cancers. 

In order to thank Alder Hey for saving Catherine's life her Godmother Nicki has commissioned personalised pop to create a Christmas single. 

All the proceeds of this single will go to funding life saving research, new updated trials and machinery, to make sure Alder Hey's patients and families continue to get the best possible care, treatment and support.

Links: 

Personalised pop facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/smallboyproductions/ 

More about Alder Hey: https://www.alderheycharity.org/ 

Pre order: 

https://music.apple.com/gb/album/1484826344?app=itunes

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZM2TKZN 

Pre save on spotify: 

https://snd.click/Sh6En 

Interview with ME activist Jessica Taylor-Bearman

Jessica Taylor-Bearman spent her entire teenage years hospitalized, bedridden, unable to move, speak, eat or interact. 

and at the age of 15, she was hospitalized with the most severe form of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (M.E) 

Jess would not give up and was determined not to let her illness stop her. Having always enjoyed writing, but she couldn't even speak let alone write yet she made a conscious decision to write using her mind.  When again finally able to speak Jess began using an audio diary named "bug" to express her stories & thoughts. 

In 2009, Jess realised that through balancing a paintbrush in her hand, whilst laughing it would cause the paintbrush to create movement.

This created a completely new art form that she later went on to call a 'Laugh-O-Gram'. All of Jessica's laugh-o-grams have been exhibited, her first being in Canterbury's Art Festival back in 2009. 

Having realized how lonely & isolating it can be to be a young person suffering an illness she established the charity "Share a star" to help put a smile on seriously unwell youngsters faces & make them forget about their troubles for a while.

Share a star It is now a registered charity that Jess has continued, whilst also inspiring millions of online followers with her blog titled "The World of One Room" she has also created a YouTube video that reached tens of thousands of people in multiple countries and has been featured in a film called Unrest a documentary about raising awareness for chronic fatigue syndrome. 

Jess's lifelong ambition was to one day become an author which she finally achieved on the 3rd of July 2018 when her memoir "A girl behind dark glasses" was published. Jessica is currently writing a sequel to her first book about life outside the hospital, her wedding & newest addition to her family little baby Felicity. 

Jess was kind enough to take the time out of her busy schedule to let me ask her some questions about her life living with M.E which I am so grateful for & I hope you all appreciate the effort she went to in order to do this. Here are her replies I hope you enjoy reading through them as much as I did. 

Q1: What's the main thing you hope people will be able to take away from reading your book? 

A: I really want people to see the human spirit overcoming adversity. There is so much suffering, but there is also so much hope that was instrumental into me being able to write my book.

Q2: How helpful do you think social media Is at raising awareness for M.E & other misunderstood conditions? 

A: Social media has been an absolute necessity for me. At first, it enabled me to speak to other sufferers, and then when I started my activism through my YouTube video The World of One Room and a Facebook page with the same name, I found it really raised awareness and helped us to be heard.

Q3: The average age to be diagnosed with ME is from your early 20s to mid-40s do you think more could be done for young people suffering with ME? 

A: There needs to be so much more done for young people suffering from ME. When you are an adult, you have more scope to make decisions for yourself. When you are a child, the first ‘help’ I received was a truancy officer who came to make sure that I was really ill. To start off with such a mistrust of the medical profession is not good and leads to so many problems.

Q4: What is one thing you wish people understood about ME? 

A: I wish that people understood that M.E. sufferers are really suffering. It affects every aspect of living. Most people are doing everything to survive and some are just existing.

Q5: What one wish do you have for people suffering from ME? 

A: I really wish that there is biomedical research into M.E. that would give hope of treatment for M.E. sufferers.

Q6: After finding art was a good tool for distraction do you think art therapy should be recommended to ME patients? 

A: I definitely think that art therapy should be used for M.E. patients but I particularly like laughter art therapy. Being able to create something that is universal and doesn’t require any skills. I mean I was not an artist before I tried painting! I think that Laugh -O- Gram workshops is something I will look to do more of.

Q7: How important do you think it is for documentaries like unrest to be made & showcased? 

A: it is essential that there are documentaries like Unrest and Voices from the Shadows to depict the full level of suffering that M.E. patients go through. It is instrumental to promote change.

Q8: How was your experience with education after being diagnosed with ME? 

A: Sadly, my experience of education was poor after being diagnosed with M.E. I had to stop going to school pretty quickly and the hospital school only started to take notice when it was too late and I was unable to speak or move. I desperately want to learn but it is hard. I started a degree but could never finish it. I am now a 28 year old with no qualifications...

Q9: A lot of people with ME feel lonely or isolated do think doing charity work has helped you feel less alone? 

A: M.E. is a very lonely disease. You are isolated from society in a way that doesn’t happen with any other disease. I find being able to talk and support other families facing problems with health, makes me feel like I’m achieving something and I’m connecting with people, which is important.

Q10: What is one piece of advice you would give to any parents who have been diagnosed with me? 

A: The one piece of advice I would give to parents is to listen to your child’s body. Always remember that you know your child best. 

Links: 

Jess's website: http://www.jaytay.co.uk/

Share a star: https://shareastar.co.uk/

A girl behind dark glasses: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Girl-Behind-Dark-Glasses/dp/1999805356/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?keywords=a+girl+behind+dark+glasses&qid=1573232686&sprefix=A+girl+behind+dark+&sr=8-1 

Disability inclusion in Tracy Beaker returns part 1

Moving on up into the next instalment of the Tracyverse to Tracy Beaker Returns, set a couple of years after the end of TSOTB. Tracy is still living with Cam but has used her credit card to publish her life story and subsequently ended up in prison. One of the first Tracy scenes we see is one in which Tracy ends up with dumping ground resident Liam as they both get checked into prison, Mike arrives to pick up Liam (the dg child). Tracy tells Mike what has happened, then later that day ends up running back to the place of her childhood. 

Back at the DG, we are introduced to Frank who like Layla also has a form of cerebral palsy

Frank & massive Manchester United support who was previously in the care of his Grandad before he became unwell. 

There is a really sweet episode called Grandad that Although has nothing to do with Frank's condition there is a really sweet dumping ground Frank episode titled "Grandad" which I think it is really worth mentioning. Frank is planning a fishing trip for his Grandpa's birthday, before just as he leaves he hit with the news that his Grandad has died. 

Realizing the funeral has already happened he plots a way to get the money together for a headstone but after selling his prized possession, a pocket watch handed down for generations. Frank soon regrets this decision when he discovers  his grandad has been allocated a council grave meaning he is not allowed to have a headstone even if he pays for it out of his own pocket. 

  Despite only receiving £100 for selling his pocket watch the antiques owner refuses to give it back as she has found a buyer who has offered over £500. 

 Tracy comes to Frank's aid driving her new wacky car with it's own personalised number plate which the antiques dealer notices & offers to take off their hands in exchange for the watch. 

Whilst this is all going on the other DG residents rally round to help create a bench memorial positioned in their favorite fishing spot. 

This is one of the sweetest Tracy Beaker Returns episodes just because it shows pure friendship amongst the kids. 

Although Frank has a softer side & is predisposed to being scammed when in an emotional situation. He can also be quite the scammer & regularly causes chaos with his best friend Liam. 

Some of the scams they commit include burger diving (where you take a half-eaten burger box out of the bin then pretend someone knocks you over causing you to lose what's left, they then feel bad & buy you more) 

Trying to sell Tracy's books without permission (even faking signatures) Frank even prints out a new cover pretending it is his book signing them in an attempt to get sales. 

Frank & Liam also undertake the challenge of selling Tracy's disgusting 

uneaten banana pizzas. In one episode they get caught carried away pretending to be a family along with Toby in order to win a family aimed at families. They get conned by the company resulting in them paying out over a Thousand pounds for flights they thought were free. 

What I really loved about Frank & Liam was that they genuinely care for each other, always having each others backs. They might not have been the most innocent of characters but this definitely adds to their charm. 

I remember starring secondary school not long after Tracy Beaker returns started I'm not 100% sure but I think it was around its second series. 

Something massive  really stands out to me from that time. I feel I should mention in this blog & possibly again throughout this series of blogs.

Although I went to secondary school with a bunch of people I knew they were a lot brighter than me, before long I was thrown into a classroom with a bunch of people I had never met.

I've got to say that first day I was terrified, I didn't know them & they all looked so much bigger than me (I've always been really small) I'm not the smartest person in the world, I'm not even going to pretend I am. I've always been the one to get taken off or ended up in smaller groups sometimes with people years younger than me (very embarrassing) as I was unable to keep up with everyone else. 

Here I was again in a school set smaller than the rest, in some classes there were only five pupils. 

I look back on it now & it seems unfair to categorize people like that, we knew what people thought of us at least most of us did but even through all my school-related problems I wouldn't change meeting these people because it was my first actual experience of being around kids who seemed to be on the same wavelength as me. 

No more did I have to be in a classroom full of people who I felt were going to get mad if I didn't know something. It made me feel so much better. I was also able to pick targets that made sense to me in a way that seemed simpler than ever before. 

I think you become more understanding when you are able to experience other people's lives, the way they get through their day or what through struggles they may have. 

All my friends worked really hard to be where they  wherever got to. we had a laugh most of the time. 

I bring this up because I spent many hours with one of my friends helping her to read & write, it gave me such a joy only I'm pretty sure the reason I could understand her even from the early days of that classroom was she spoke in the same way Frank did.  It might sound ridiculous but I'm positive that it made a difference. I was able to help her in a way I wouldn't of been able to do if I wasn't already partly aware. 

 She didn't have to be frustrated by me. In return I didn't have to feel awkward about not knowing how to react. So everyone won. 

Tracy Beaker has helped me gain friends but clearly not just online through the real world. Purely just through this little piece of story, you can see how important disability in television is. Especially for kids as well as teenagers.

You never know who you are going to meet

If you are predisposed to inclusion, then end up in a situation where you are required to be around it.  you'll know how to help you'll be able to teach them,allow them to get better & ultimately allow yourself experience to grow as a person. I suspect that this show can't only have done that for me but I'd like to think it's done it for tons of other people too. It's all about education at the end of the day. I had that, I grew from it, I'm extremely grateful for it & I'll never forget it.