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Well some strong language now in BBC1
Meet the Clark family
We won't let disability gets in their way
Adele and Laurence are having a baby
But complications when they were born made ... of cerebral palsy
They said that never walk
? years as a vegetable
Adele is determined to have their baby naturally
All right can I see the (?) ah
But there is no idea what impacting condition will have on that
I just want to try an experience in the same way as most women do
A well stand-up comedian Laurence tries to see the funny side
I didn't people expect ? we were so much my ***
Mother in law Pauline knows having a baby is no laughing matter
Will Laurence and Adele get the birth of their choise?
Most important thing is that comes in one piece and I will never forgive myself if so not
And how they cope with new addition to their busy lifes
Pauline: You will get mobile
Adele: Have you got him?
We won't drop the baby
9 years ago Laurence Clark and his wife Adele fell in love
I think it was probably ? to be honest
We were out for a drink for night
And so one thing I turned it out
Laurence laughs and he says second achieves like
"do you want kids, cos if you don't, get on your by"
You know it was really important to me so
and I guess I am looking back, I realise that it was quite ?
Laurence: try not to ? so height
After a year of marriage, they had Tom
and began life as disabled parents
We are just used to get it not really as an issue
It was all the peoples perception of all so
At below the local supermarket for example
And complete strangers with stop and ask me how i managed
And sometimes if Tom was mine
Quite frankly, its not their business
It didn't really surprise ? if you got their reaction
All it is about so
It wasn't an issue different
Hey Tom! do you want some push!
It has taken six years for Adele to persuade Laurence to have another child
Hold on thight
This is a bit more difficult. Now mommy got a bump
She is now four months pregnant
I was? really came from two half siblings
So you know that was a lot of mine, drive really
I was a bit more like ? just care it was a lot work, stress
You don't actually go to the pizza
You think you love r?mzy coat
This is why I ask now to be mummy
Before I met Laurence, I had been in some situations where I would been with nondisabled men
Waste of space, and you know,
and it was just need to feel attractive to nondisabled man
which you know it is silly really
Nowadays I think birthday hundreds of potential disabled was we wouldnt ???
6 year old Tom likes jumping on his dad
dressing up and Doctor Who
And he has already decided on a name for the baby
Do you like Harry?
Woman: Do you like Harry?
Yeah!
And dad does
But my mum doesn't
Woman: What does she want to call the baby?
She doesn't know yet but if we were if we had a girl it wouldn't be so Kate
February
Laurence and Adele are about to discover if it is a brother or sister for Tom
Adele's mother Pauline is joining them in the hospital
I like a girl but be happy with a boy
It is what we wish
Adele:It is only ? me ? for any more. thats why. so i can give his the ? and gets me ???
Laurence and Adele have chosen not to have any prenatal tests
which could predict impairments in on their unborn child
We are in a physician where our impairments are ??
So we haven't got that to think about
And probably if baby was born with some impairments
yeah we'll be well pleased to bring them up
I think all begins before he borns that he couldn't be born a toy
You because what if the time was with your ginger hair?
Heart beating
You see the spine so baby laying on his back
? with you now a question is yet all the sex
So we say it is not a hundred percent and it looks like a boy
Adele: I was right
Pauline: And now again?
Pauline: It looks like Tom
Pauline: This is Adele and I
I love this one just I feel close to her on that
She chose to get rid of the big ? of them
obviously ? get because
I ? want a new baby
When I was seven months, my ? broke
I was taken in to the hospital
Thet did give me injections
to stop me from coma
and then by ten o'clock on Friday night
no on ten past on the Saturday afternoon
and they just said ? shock
And I just thought myself if the babys not live that for
From the point of diagnosis is often really negative
Your son or daughter won't achieve
and say your son is also will have a reliance on you
Pauline: I was hard with Adele
I have to be odd because I wanted to be like big
Yet everyone else.
I just used to say, "go on, get in the street, and play with the other kids"
And just shot the front door on her
If she fell over, get up!
And she used to look at me like say "god, you don't care about me"
But I care about because that's the only way that she's gonna live
March
Adele and Laurence are having their home extended to make space for nursery
The baby is to get on here with the dining room
This is our small room
? logically baby will go
But as you can see it is really thight for me to get in there
If we use the small room for the baby
It wouldn't be my perfect as it... not get ... in the middle of the night
And this is day two of many
You will be fine, come on
? a few couple of weeks will be help
just you are not sleeping properly
Cos obviously your body prepare for the baby coming
You trying get on the stuff but just, easy said ? nanny
Although his wife doesn't always find him funny,
It's Laurence's job to make people laugh
So I'm not pissed
He spends over a hundrend ninety year
touring the UK stand-up comedy circuit
This is hard to talk all the time
Can you find the f? plause of a make I find
I would drama
I always put off as a return
by parent by teachers by cruise advisers,
saying you are living at more work
After several s? shows in Edinburgh,
Laurence is said to spend another month of festival later in the year
just weeks after Adeles judiate?
Well when we tell people where it had got cerebral palsy
It gets two reactions
You get the people assumed that, what all we left ? away
Or you get the others that smiling saying you got ?tulations. But their eyes
Their eyes are saying how the *** today
I always had cerebral palsy and always spent life like this
I got to compare it to ? really not to slow my life
I always wish I could walk or
I wish I could do this
cos I hope the way out
Like Adele, Laurence is cerebral palsy caused by complications during his birth
It was new years eve
and we turned to the labour
the doctors didn't there, celebrating new year
and that time tradition
and suppose for how and the stuff were drunk
didn't take it seriously
and I moved bridge pozition
and most of ? doing the birth caused by cerebral palsy
and they wasn't sure ? to save me
? we weren't able to ?
and take care of myself
being continent
and to be about years of vegetable
to my mum. I think it was her,
it was obviously very dramatic
Simply that
I think she ? to struggle those with
Laurence's mom: I think-
Laurence: Bushgardens
Laurence's mom: Yes bushgardens
Laurence's mom: I never looked at the future too.
Because this lot of negativity in those days
I think ever more enlightened now
But I didn't look to the future
And the only way I could do with a twist to deal with what was going on at the time
But my one hope was with me some of the one day,
wasn't even thinking of marriage
but have a partner and have a healthy sex
I'm feeling ? young most men ? that I really truely-
Laurence: I probably amuse her
He would have done
and that was the best day of my life that you brought Adele home to introduce me
For Tom the fact is mum and dad are disabled is just part of an everyday life
Tom: That's mom that's dad that's baby
Is that daddy in a car?
Tom: It is his ? chair. It is his wheelchair.
So, do you know why has he a wheelchair?
Tom: It didn't come almost to me until time
And do you know why has she a stick?
Tom: I don't know exactly. You tell me
I think it has been really since he's gone to school and started for ?
You know friendships attract him really that he has begun to recognise any difference
Cos you remember not long after you see him on reception round the teatable on night
he asked when he was gonna get his wheelchair
Tom: Is this a babe?
Adele: Yeah, but ? mom need some ?
Tom: But you think it's gonna feel right with the baby's coming?
Adele: Wow, I think when he is coming out of mommys tummy,
it might hurt a little bit
Cos he has got to find his way out
But I hope, when he does come he makes us all really happy
Tom: You say the baby has to find his way out.
The doctor can't just get it out?
Adele: Well it's a bit both a? to riggle? down so we can get out and-
Tom: So you are saying that the doctor makes a special hole in the belly and then the baby can get flew
Adele: Sometimes, not so you were born
You were born by caesarean cos you were lying the wrong way round
So what did they give the mummy a little operation where they cut the tummy
and reached you out
But this time the baby will try to find his own way out
with a little bit help from the hospital
Adele doesn't know what impact cerebral palsy will have on a natural birth
Adele: My impairment made me effect my lower limps
And one of the things what made a little bit is where the my hips will cope with the pushing mechanism
Cos obviously you've got to be able to push,
and use gravity to get the baby out
I just wanna try an experience in the same way as most women do
Pauline: She says always I wanna a child I wanna a child
And want this baby naturally and I want a pain really
? made your dutchess gonna childborn ? I know what ? cos I know she wants to suffer so the baby suffer
April
Laurence and Adele are meeting the hospitals consultant midwife to discuss a birthplan
I am really keen to try naturally particularly, cos this baby would be our last
And from our point of view we don't want anything spectacularly different, the more any of the family would want
Midwife: Ok. So what labour did your mom have?
Adele: I was a two months pregnant. The labour was very dramatic and my impairment not cause the sepay?
Midwife: It was a *** birth- Adele: ***
Adele: Yeah. I was only 2 pounds of the ones what you meet the couse?
Midwife: Yeah I mean you said that your mom had a traumatic time
Are you quite anxious about this-
Midwife: And how you about? Yeah the options really unfortunately we couldn't allow it ? water?
Laurence: Caeserean is not an option
Midwife: Or mainly because the issue you might get in out of air
so it could be the way explode and we'll try you're getting in the pool
As far as-
A: You you you want to began-
Midwife. would you get the par? So it is you think about.
People do this the moment of that part, yeah, it's a big pool
Adele: ? flying up
Midwife: That's what you can lift up
Tom: Are you getting football playing?
Adele: No, I'm not
Midwife: I wish you had doing that
Adele: It's fine
Midwife: You slowly self down
Adele: I liked the idea for that
Adele: Yeah I think that would be fine
I mean obviously I am getting labour pains
so I'm not getting so ?
Midwife: And You would say, when we begin for you are in
Laurence: We decided for about a water birth
And at last did I want to get in to pool
what we did now doing the birth
I have to say I wasn't that keen cos I can't swim
I just think like a stone
I didn't want it first they my newborn saying
It is the came out to be his father his kids own bein?
Often not my father is doing for your name was turned it off the birth?
May
That's nice but that's 55. Don't you know what the price is?
Pauline: I can't wait for that goes in to labour that getting forward to get in the room with her
just old around ? not allow me.
She lame. Probably show up evil.
She just wants to prove ? have the rights.
Adele: I'm getting that
Pauline: I would just-
Adele: Oh you are not get-
Pauline: Please leave it-
Adele: Mom! stop that!
Pauline: I think when Adele goes in to labour, I will worry. Because I think ? is not a natural way to worry of that
You know you worried about because you don't wanna see a little get in pain
cos Adele's still my baby. I have a baby
Adele: Thanks mom
Pauline: Don't cry, why are you crying for?
Guaranteed 5 years
Adele: Over the last couple of days, of kinds ? a little bit of woble?
And so it goes, I dont know whether I m better for ? section
I don't know whether it's just me, I have a panic movement, but obviously my condition affects my hips
And obviously I'm quite small in stature
So maybe my pelvis isn't getting ? something this big
? Something that small. You know what I mean. So I dont know
So do you know how many sleeps is to your brother comes?
Tom: No
Adele: 25 sleeps comes on its duty
Tom: Hope it doesn't come out like daddy did
Adele: What you mean?
Tom: He didn't come out in time
Adele: Oh you mean that he was late
Tom: Yeah
Adele: I hope it doesn't come late either. Geez
Adele: He said your mom say things like "your daddy was overcooked" you know. It doesn't mean-
Laurence: It doesn't mean to any more. He is a young. Yeah. It doesn't upset me anything
June
Two days before the cudeyt? Adele has gone in to labour
Pauline: I say calm down right now. Let's put the eyeliner. Put the eyeliner on
Adele: I can hear someone scream
X: Don't mention it
Laurence: Stand up
Because Tom was a plain caecarean, this is the first time Adele has experienced contractions
Laurence: Breath it, I get to the ?
Adele: I was thinking in the house
If this painful now, what the hell I am getting out
With the aids of drugs and water hopefully
someone else comes and gets that ? ?
Laurence: When we get to the party down town? Stake ? a claim?
X: He said that for many ? Adele
Adeles water has just broken
X: Stay still on the ? ?
But it looks like there might be a problem with her labour
Unfortunately baby has had a little poo inside mom so, it makes baby a little bit unhappy in some stage for ever reason
So just precaution put ? in monitor to access how continously just to make sure everythings ok
Come on. You'll be fine. Hey this is just a precaution. Only a boy opens a ? and goes that
The most important thing is that he comes in one piece and never forgive myself if not so happens
If the babys situation improves, then Adele still has a chance at a natural birth
Adele: I got time to get some food. you need to eat ? trust me when I pushed you, you cannot move away from my side
Laurence : Ok
Adele: Absolutely exhausted. Should go sleep for an hour for those pain and a week more waiting for that
After 18 hours of labour, the consultant midwife has bad news for Adele
Midwife: Not progressed. No change in the *** and in fact ? going the way which fits for the babys head isn't sitting nicely on the ***
So if we go for the decision for section now, ? sweet, we can that movement
Not cos in the immune section, but we don't concern about it yet
But ?consciousness hope far ? so I suspect we would be taking it the next time
Laurence: We are dissappointed. Because obviously be wanted that natural birth ?
Theatre personnel only beyond this point
Midwife: These wheels ? it is better for us if we could put one of your wheel chairs to the ? difficult
Laurence: Not really is. Yeah yeah. Cos outside surroundering all my ? times
Laurence: They are concerned about ? get obviously compound? to get plastic bags on wheels
X: im just gonne wipe the wheels. is that ok?
Laurence: Yeah fine
X: Are you sure?
Laurence: Yeah yeah
X: I just get you move in the side. Its very clean. Look very clean. Thank you
Laurence: No problem
Moments after Laurence is called in the theatre, his son is born
Laurence: Oh he's beautiful!
X: Say hello to daddy
Adele: It felt like from the eternity waiting for a cry
X: He is lovely
X: Take a little bit closer to you now
Laurence: ? like Tom. got was an ?
X: 1 and half pounds, well done
X: Which way will you want to
Laurence: This hand is out. thank you. yes
X: Proud dad
And its the second time being for me
I'm so exhausted but I made up, just can't stop looking at him
I was pleased without supposed, cos it really did support me to trying do the hell natural thing
And it just wasn't to be in that
I have the horrible feeling Just felt sad just felt same, it was just over well
Because she'd been in much pain all day. She struggled to that did have really pain
Just policy some really in that struggle like that just need me
Maybe feel sacr? ? all operations. and all pains much through with ? child ? really ?
Welcome to the Maternity Ward
Pauline: Hi there baby. Ah what I got
Oh he's gorgeous
Ah my god, a little Tommy again 0:31:30.444,1193:02:47.295 Hey lovely
And top of my life have mobile issues anywhere now I'm gonna be so
Ok come. Ok. Let's find. What we just need you to bring your legs round
Adele is getting out of the bed for taking a shower
But it quickly becomes apparent that it might be too soon for Adele to become mobile
Adele: It's pain
Pauline: I know Adele
Adele: No no im going, going, going
And she's gonna pale and she just thought, she's gonna faint in any minute
Just got out of the shower. just got room for the? just screamed and then
Which is we got her in the wheelchair
She's desperate from shower Now she's panicking
? well you know scared to the ? of the baby. She did it for Tom She can do it again Can't she
Come on you are gonna be all right your mom is here
I can not leave you in the day ah
Adele: I just faint mom
Pauline: You're get mobile
Don't think that
You'll just get everything with those help
You missed all this you have been in a sleep
Adele: My legs are happy anyway
?
Plus I've got the section scar
It all built some top one another
Just really flint
X: Will you relieved Adele had a ceasaerean in the end
Definitely, yes, because, after in both ways and obviously,
when it was Laurence that's what happened. You know, someone has to be hesitated
He doesn't have any turning end on the feet
Doctor: Ok before we started, how is he feeding, is he feeding well on the breast
Before Adele can leave the hospital, the pediatrician needs to examine the baby
Doctor: Have you seen a baby that before
Adele: Yes it was a little while but yeah 0:35:00.072,1193:02:47.295 Doctor: How is himself really beautifully nice and bend arms like that. Mouth is good.
Hello sweetheart
Your brother is home
Tom: I am happy the baby's come home
And Toms little brother now has a name. Jamie
Tom: He is cute
He might be dreaming of drinking milk
I want to stand back and just see my help is needed, staying in the background
Now I'm get on with it. It is a both so capable and so, you know confident on their own home
I just make sure Tom's ok.
Laurence and Adele made to find an excessible way to bath Jamie
Laurence: That low
Adele: That's should be fine
They've decided the rise and fall worktop in the kitchen is a good place to start
This would be Jamie's first bath at home
Tom: Please take it to mummys It gives me a headache
Tom: Want me to help
Tom: I think he doesn't like bath
Laurence: Neither to you
Adele: You know, go on
Adele: Let's just not wait for me
Adele: I'm really conscious when I fell floor
And you know, I only just mobilise
Laurence: Here you go
Laurence: It is hard to head soap
Adele: I'm just really worried
Adele: Have you got him
Adele: No bloody have you got him
Adele: I'm slipping
Adele: Have you got him
Adele: Oh my lovely
Laurence: I got him
Laurence's mom: Hurray first bath!
Laurence's mom: This kitchen is sort of new exploring new ways of doing it
It is also for me, cos I am standing and I want to go and help, you know it's a heart
Laurence: You find best ways to do things
And it may not always look and towards people
That the best way
I make things obvious and not really take risks with my newborns
I think it's hard cos some people to get help around
Here you go
Take him to downstairs
July
It's two weeks since the birth and Laurence is about to change his first ***
Laurence: This could be a disaster
How can you have been changed the *** so far
I can't avoid this
But it's a bit easy part
Adele: Daddy has to do it sometimes
That was the last, was I
Laurence: Doing comedy is just like home duty
Laurence's rehearsing show it is about to take to the end of festival for a month
Adele: I knew this comedy developes him so much lately as well
It would be a misopportunity for him not doing it
But I'm gonna be more emotional and stuff this time
Because when the baby is changed so much as well, so I feel like it is gonna be a big ? Laurence's gonna miss
It would be hard, I'm in, I'm a rack when he goes away
August
Pauline: Hi Laurence, hi darling
It's Laurence's last morning before he leaves for Edinburgh
Adele: I just need to cry
Adele: I need space
Thank you
Adele: You know, when I married in our weddinghouse, we said that we support each other no matter what-
Laurence: And that was very upset. Yes, it is hard to leave them four weeks
But it's partly job as well, I suppose I have got luxury of four weeks of uninterrupted sleep at night wish
Don't conform Blue
Who says recently
"A lot of my fans have got cerebral palsy
but you know what, I love people with disabilities
It's just my nature
I'm like a magnet to them"
How could his most famous song is called oh god
Adele: All right. Tom!
What the *** is a normal mentality
Tom: Hello dad
Laurence: Hi Tom. What are you doing at this late, passed your bedtime!
Tom: Passing, yeah way passed
Adele: Come on Tom, cos I need to talk to dad
Tom: ok bye Adele: Say love you
Tom: Love you, bye
L: Bye, love you
Adele: Now Tom. Hello
Laurence: Good night
Adele: ? needs me in bed now, but all right
Adele: I want to take a few hours block last night though so I went to mums for some tea. So at least I had a meal today
Laurence: That's good, and a-
Adele: Sorry Larry, Tom, you need to go in the bed, now, you have to leave at now, it's far too late, in bed please
Adele: I think I can aid Jamie move Jamie anyway so, if it's all right with you,
I'm gonna go, cos I haven't had a sleep today
Laurence: Ok love you
Adele: Ok love you, miss you
Laurence: Love you, bye
After three weeks apart, the family reunited with a trip to Edinburgh
Adele: Hi
Laurence: Hi
Tom: Hi daddy
Adele: Some people will be of the opinion that we shouldn't have kids
You know, what can you do to change that
You know, we've chosen to have a family and we managed just fine
A lot of children don't get the thing we need from the apparent home like love and attention. And our boys will always get that
So you know, it is all impairment issue
Laurence: I don't think we pretend this facial unique anything
But I do think, because it is an assumption
at least to same all people
I've kids, it's my own kids and relationships
Adele: I wouldn't have ever want my experience to be use as triumph over advertly
Cos I'm not doing anything extraspecial, I'm just living my life
You know, I've got a loving partner and two kids, and that's it
You know, when they come to my home, my house is completely inaccessible, so we can't get in their house what they up to
You know, hopefully they won't make a big issue of it
We'll just be mum and dad
? Folks reveals what it is like to be disabled in the UK in 2012 Thursday evening at 10 on BBC radio 5 live