Iconic British soap opera EastEnders have been praised for the performances and storyline of the British Muslim family, the Masoods.
The plotline follows Shabnam Masood, played by actress Rakhee Thakrar, and her partner Khoroush Kazemi (Kush), played by actor Davood Ghadami, as they endure the death of their baby and deal with the aftermath of devastation.
EastEnders collaborated closely with stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands to develop the emotional story. Erica Stewart, Bereavement Support Services Manager at Sands, said in a BBC blog: “Sadly, stillbirth is not rare, it’s a devastating tragedy that affects thousands of people every year, from all walks of life.
After the episode aired on Tuesday night, Thakrar tweeted 'Zaair', the name of her character's baby, and encouraged other grieving parents to tweet the name of their stillborn baby using the hashtag #SayTheirName.
The hashtag was flooded with so many photos from bereaved parents that the actress created a Twitter account to promote the cause. "#SayTheirName campaign. For babies and children who don't get a tomorrow, say their name."
Thakrar told the BBC blog post: “In the UK, 3628 babies were stillborn in 2013, that’s one in every 216 births; a shocking fact I’ve come to learn during my preparation for telling this story.
“It is an experience that profoundly changes a person’s life forever, and we feel a heavy responsibility to tell the truth of this. Our hope is that we can encourage people to talk about their experiences and their babies that have died.”
