This is the story of Thomas Barrow.
Thomas Barrow has been working as the first footman at Downton Abbey for years. He's always been careful to keep his personal life hidden from the prying eyes of the other staff members and the Crawley family. Bu...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
After seeing Doctor Clarkson, Thomas had received a diagnosis that left him feeling overwhelmed and lost. "Cerebral palsy," the doctor had said, "It affects the muscles and coordination, and it's a lifelong condition."
As he held Ellie in his arms, Thomas felt his heart aching with concern. He knew he needed to learn more about cerebral palsy and what he could do to help his daughter. So, he made his way to the library, looking for any books on the subject.
As he sat down in his rocking chair in the servants' kitchen, he cradled Ellie close to his chest and opened one of the books. The words on the page seemed to blur as his mind raced with worry, but he forced himself to focus on the text.
'Cerebral palsy is a condition that affects movement and muscle coordination,' he read aloud to Ellie, hoping the sound of his voice would soothe her. "It's caused by damage to the developing brain, and there's no cure.'
Thomas felt his chest tighten with emotion as he continued to read. He knew that Ellie's condition would present many challenges, but he was determined to do everything he could to help her. He read on, trying to absorb as much information as he could.
'The severity of cerebral palsy can vary greatly, from mild to severe,' he read. 'Some children may have difficulty with basic movements such as sitting up, crawling, or walking. Others may have difficulty with more complex movements. 'The severity of the condition can vary widely, and in some cases, children may never walk or even sit up on their own.'
The weight of those words hit Thomas hard. He couldn't bear the thought of his daughter never being able to walk or play like other children. But he knew he had to stay strong for Ellie's sake.
As he continued reading, Thomas began to feel a sense of hope. He knew that cerebral palsy was a lifelong condition, but he also knew that there were ways to manage the symptoms and improve his daughter's quality of life depending on how severe she had the condition and he wouldn't know to what extent until she would be a bit older.
But from finding out that she had cerebral palsy and reading up on it, a shiver ran down his spine as he inhaled and exhaled a shaky breath while his eyes glistened with tears as it triggered a memory when he had gone into labour. She was a few weeks early before he had reached full term and it was a difficult labour and once Ellie was born, for a few minutes she was without oxygen and wasn't able to breathe for herself and after what seemed like a lifetime she finally took a breath and started to cry after Doctor Clarkson had cleared fluid from her mouth and rubbed her back firmly.
Now it all made sense to him, it had clicked and everything was adding up.
He looked down at Ellie, who had fallen asleep in his arms. Her peaceful expression filled him with love and determination. "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you have the best life possible," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
Thomas continued reading, taking notes and highlighting important passages. He knew that he had a long road ahead, but he was ready to face it. He would do everything in his power to give Ellie the life she deserved.
As he sat there in the servants' kitchen, holding his sleeping daughter and reading about her condition, Thomas felt a newfound sense of purpose. He knew that there would be difficult days ahead, but he also knew that he had the strength and love to face them.
