EastEnders breaks format for powerful standalone episode

Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) was convinced that her two-week old baby boy, Jimmy, could be blind after she noticed some irregularities about his eyes.

Jimmy was also having trouble latching on to breastfeed, and couldn't seem to focus; but Lauren's concerns were dismissed by partner Peter Beale (Thomas Law) and their health visitor.

Peter was warned to watch out for signs of postnatal depression in Lauren, and found her and Jimmy missing – just as their elder son Louie (Jake McNally) commented that he had seen his mum taking a tablet from a bottle under the sink.

Recovering addict Lauren was at the hospital, where she demanded for Jimmy to be examined. This got her nowhere until her midwife, Hanan (Isabel Adomakoh Young) spotted her and contacted Peter, who told Hanan about the tablets.

Peter arrived with dad Ian (Adam Woodyatt) and family friend Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), and Lauren explained that she had merely been taking folic acid, having put them under the sink in a state of exhaustion.

It wasn't until Linda noticed something worrying about Jimmy's eyes that Hanan took notice and sought out a doctor.

While Jimmy was checked over with his parents present, scornful Ian kept up a steady stream of judgemental remarks against Lauren – even warning Linda to watch out for Branning traits in her young daughter Annie, Lauren's half-sister.

As a diagnosis was reached for Jimmy, Peter fled the consultation room and left Linda to wait for Lauren and Jimmy.

Lauren listened as the doctor confirmed that Jimmy had optic nerve chorioretinal coloboma, meaning he would be registered as severely sight impaired.

"He's blind," concluded Lauren in devastation.

Back in Albert Square, Ian relayed the news to mum Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth), with Peter's mum Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) offering some uncharacteristic comfort as they took in the situation.

Meanwhile, the doctor assured a guilty Lauren that her prescribed methadone would not have caused Jimmy's condition; but it was possible that other drug use during pregnancy may have led to this.

Recalling her morphine use, Lauren couldn't bear to think about how her addiction could have harmed her little boy.

Alone in the bathroom, Lauren vowed never to take so much as a paracetamol ever again, and begged for forgiveness from God.

But there was a slither of hope when Jimmy was finally able to latch on and breastfeed, despite being unable to see what he was doing.

The lights then flickered off, leaving Lauren and Jimmy alone together in the dark, in a symbolic final few moments as she faced what lay ahead.

EastEnders closed the edition with a special, lullaby version of the BBC soap's theme music by composer Simon May.

Star Jossa gave a moving performance throughout as Lauren fought for her baby's future, but can she and Peter pull together to support Jimmy?

Anyone affected by Jimmy's story can visit RNIB for support and information.

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EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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