Post by Cornwallgirl on Feb 19, 2007 16:39:00 GMT 1
Harrowing news
Single mum Sky Mangel receives the most devastating information about her baby daughter this week. In a heartbreaking scene, Sky (Stephanie McIntosh) learns that little Kerry is suffering from leukaemia! Stephanie says that, while he character was aware that something major was wrong with her daughter, nothing could have prepared her for this tragic development. "Sky is just gutted," Steph says. "I think she just keeps asking, 'Why?' It's trauma after trauma. Before this, Kerry has a cold - she has the sniffles and a temperature, and hasn't been eating. She's been constantly grizzly, so naturally Sky is worried and rushes her to hospital. The doctors decide to run some tests - and that's when Sky gets a weird feeling that something isn't right."
After learning the shattering truth, Sky goes into a state of shock and refuses to believe the diagnosis. "Her first reaction is denial," Steph confirms. "She tells the hospital they're going to owe her a big apology." While Sky was initially less than overjoyed when she discovered she was pregnant at such a young age, she has since embraced motherhood. It's clear that Kerry means the whole world to her now. "Kerry is Sky's lifeline," Steph says. "This is the last person she could lose."
Later, still unable to come to terms with the news, a distraught Sky visits her mother's memorial site. But as she's kneeling at her mum's grave, she's shocked by a sudden premonition in which she clearly sees the name Timmins on the plaque!
Heavy material
While Stephanie McIntosh has announced she'll be leaving Neighbours later this year to focus on her increasingly successful music career, she certainly can't complain that she hasn't been given challenging storylines during her time on the weeknight soap. "I feel lucky as an actor because the producers keep having faith in me," she says, adding, "but it was pretty full-on doing this one. One of the biggest scenes was delivering the news to the family that Kerry has leukaemia. I got myself into a pretty worked-up state and just bawled my eyes out. However, when you read the scene where your baby has leukaemia, it's pretty easy to find that place."
