Hollyoaks star Nikki Sanderson - who plays Maxine Minniver - criticised Internet trolls for “horrific” comments about her on screen daughter, Eva Lorente (Minnie Blake), who has Down’s syndrome.
Appearing on Loose Women, she revealed that two-year-old Eva’s mother receives online abuse about her daughter’s condition.
"Her mum Alana says to me she gets some horrific stuff sent to her. She was telling me yesterday that one of the ones she got off someone was 'you should be ashamed of your daughter, she’s disgusting'."
Alana, 31, said she wanted Eva’s presence on the show to raise awareness of Down’s syndrome and is doing her utmost to rise above the thoughtless trolls.
She said: "I don’t think being angry back at them will ever help the situation. It’s just easier to block and ignore them.
"I do keep an eye on things online and things that are being said. It’s mostly positive. For every one bad comment there’s 200 good comments. You get a thick skin when you’ve got a child with special needs. It’s something you have to prepare yourself for.
"It’s definitely better than I thought it would be. Every negative comment is an opportunity to educate people about Down’s syndrome."
Eva joined Hollyoaks when she just three-months-old. She attends a nursery in Great Harwood and clearly loves playing with Nikki who is using her profile on social media to educate people about Down’s syndrome.
Alana is grateful for the support, saying:
"A lot of young people watch Hollyoaks and the statistics for Down’s syndrome are very high for termination. That’s the reason why we did it and she absolutely loves it.
"Eva has known Nikki since she was three-months-old and they have got a very special bond. Nikki is really brilliant with all of the awareness she raises for Down’s syndrome. We couldn’t thank her enough for that."
The Down’s Syndrome Associationprovides information and support about the condition, and helps people with Down’s syndrome live full and rewarding lives.