When was Coronation Street's David Platt diagnosed with epilepsy?
Oliver Battersby's 'uncle' tries to help Nick and Leanne by sharing his health tips
It's 10 years since David Plat was first diagnosed with epilepsy after he accidentally ran over love rival Graeme Proctor (Craig Gazey) when Graeme started going out with Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan) in Coronation Street. At the time David had no memory of the incident. It was only when he collapsed again before he was due to appear in court that doctors realised the problem.
In tonight's Friday May 15th episode David calls round to help his half-brother Nick Tilsey (Ben Miles) and Leanne Battersby (Jane Danson) as the couple believe that Leanne and Steve McDonald's son Oliver's seizures may be due to him being epileptic.
David suggests healthy eating, exercise and no alcohol which isn't the most relevant advice for a three-year-old. In fact his good intentions prove to be wide of the mark anyway as Oliver, who is played by young actors Emmanuel and Jeremiah Cheetham, is actually suffering with a Mitochondrial disorder, a life limiting illness for which there is currently no cure.
After David leaves Leanne and Nick's flat Oliver has another seizure and is taken into intensive care where he continues to fit. The doctors try to reassure Nick, Leanne and Steve when he arrives that it is just a precaution to best monitor the child.
In contrast David's epilepsy has been managed since his original diagnosis. He had a second seizure in front of stepson Max in 2015 when they were in the park feeding the ducks. David's condition was raised again as a concern when he took on Gary Windass (Mikey North) in a boxing match in 2018 after being raped by Josh Tucker.
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Concerning Oliver Battersby's ongoing storyline, Coronation Street’s research team has worked closely with The Lily Foundation, a charity that supports families and funds research into mitochondrial disease.
Liz Curtis, CEO and co-founder of The Lily Foundation, said: “All of us at The Lily Foundation are excited to be working with Coronation Street on a storyline about a child with a mitochondrial disorder, and grateful to the show for highlighting an issue that affects hundreds of families in the UK."
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