Child actor Alfie Clarke has raised thousands of pounds for a dementia charity following his on-screen dad in Emmerdale Ashley Thomas' storyline
Every so often, there's a storyline in a soap that really resonates with its viewers.
Not just for being dramatic, but because it might be something that people face every day.
Earlier this year, Kym Marsh's portrayal of a late miscarriage in Coronation Street affected hundreds of viewers, who praised her for her incredibly realistic acting - even if it was devastatingly based on a real-life experience that she had.
And then there's John Middleton, whose character Ashley Thomas was diagnosed with dementia last year and tragically passed away last month.
With a massive 850,000 people currently suffering from dementia in the UK, it's not surprising that a soap storyline exploring the disease affected so many people - one of whom was Ruth Langsford, who broke down whilst presenting This Morning last month.
John Middleton, who played Ashley in Emmerdale for 20 years, has been widely praised for his portrayal of a vascular dementia sufferer, and for bringing the reality of those suffering and their loved ones to the attention of the wider public.
His storyline has not only brought the issue to the fore, but has also inspired many people - including his nine-year-old co-star Alfie Clarke, who plays his son, Arthur Thomas.
Alfie, from Huddersfield, Yorkshire, has raised over £5,000 for Alzheimer's Society after being inspired by the storyline and his on-screen dad.
Although he hoped to swim between 20-40 lengths of his local swimming pool, the Huddersfield Leisure Centre, he ended up swimming an amazing 46 lengths in around an hour.
Alfie was sponsored by 426 people who have contributed £5,246.67 to his cause, which is still available to donate to - you can do so at his JustGiving page here.
Of course, when his mum asked him what he wanted to do afterwards - he wanted to eat! Speaking to The Huddersfield Daily Examiner, his mum Fiona said: "Alfie managed to do 46 lengths, which was six more than his target. He has raised over £5,100 and the money is still coming in.
"The swim took him about an hour. He was a bit tired and hungry afterwards, so we went to PAX Burger in Lindley for a treat! He is quite passionate about it. He wants to help people with dementia and their families."
On-screen dad John Middleton even took the time to praise the little lad, tweeting: "My pal Alfie smashing his target and raising nearly £5000 for the Alzheimer's Society! The burger afterwards never tasted so good!"
Well done, Alfie!
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