A five-year-old deafblind boy from Lancashire has made his acting debut on BBC One's EastEnders, with his mother hoping his appearance will break down barriers for disabled children.
Harvey Hind, from Clitheroe, played the role of Arlo in Wednesday's episode. Arlo is a preschool boy who is registered blind. In the storyline, Arlo and his mother visit Lauren Branning and Peter Beale's home, where Arlo plays with their son Jimmy, who was revealed to be blind last year. Arlo's mother offers Lauren guidance on raising a blind child.
Harvey's mother, Kimberly, said: 'I hope Harvey featuring in EastEnders shows other disabled children, especially those who are deafblind, that they can achieve anything.' She added: 'Harvey loves being in the spotlight but for us the most important thing will always be raising awareness and breaking down barriers so every disabled child gets the same opportunities as anyone else.'
Harvey was diagnosed as blind at three months old after failing a newborn hearing test. He uses a red-and-white striped cane for deafblind people, communicates through British Sign Language, and wears cochlear implants. His mother found his first two years challenging and quit work to care for him. The charity Sense provided specialist support, which Kimberly described as 'lifesaving'.
Kimberly said: 'I was so anxious when I found out Harvey was deafblind, so his character's storyline resonated with me a lot. Luckily, with the support of organisations like Sense, Harvey is now a really happy child who is eager to learn, loves exploring and has a cheeky personality.'
