The family are broken by more tragic news.
This article contains discussion of terminal illness and brain tumours which some readers may find upsetting.
Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) made dying granddaughter Lola Pearce-Brown (Danielle Harold) a heartbreaking promise in tonight’s emotional EastEnders (Wednesday 17th May).
Lola’s battle with a terminal brain tumour led to an emergency hospital stay this week, when she began slurring her words and suffered other worrying symptoms, leading her to panic and shout at young daughter Lexi (Isabella Brown) to leave the room.
Waking up in the hospital bed, Lola tried to get up so she could head home to apologise to Lexi, but worried husband Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) stopped her, insisting she needed to rest and speak to the doctors.
Billy, as well as Lexi’s dad Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden), were by Lola’s side as her consultant and a nurse visited her room, where they broke the devastating news that Lola’s cancer had spread and her palliative chemotherapy was not doing its job. She now has a matter of weeks left to live, and everyone struggled to take in the news as Ben argued that surely, something could be done.
Billy’s wife Honey (Emma Barton) arrived with Lexi, and the clan gave mother and daughter some time alone together, with Lola bravely drying her tears to explain how her illness had sadly led her to shout at Lexi. Lexi offered to support her mum through any further symptoms, and Lola couldn’t bear to tell her that she would be dying much sooner than they all expected.
When Lola later asked Billy to help her get to the toilet, she privately reminded Billy that when he had found her in such a fragile state on the Square, he had promised not to let her life end like that. As she asked him to help her die on her own terms, in order to protect Lexi from seeing her mum’s decline, Billy was stunned. He refused to agree to Lola’s wishes, and she replied that she would have to do so herself instead.
Back with Lexi, Ben and Honey, Lola listened as Ben read a letter detailing Lexi’s upcoming secondary school visit, with Lexi revealing that she was nervous and asking if Lola would be well enough to take her.
Billy struggled to keep his composure, knowing the true answer was that Lola wouldn’t be around for the occasion. Throughout the episode, the powerful performances from actors Harold and Fenwick had the tears flowing, just when we thought this storyline couldn’t get any more upsetting.
While the others were away, with Ben taking Lexi home, Billy had a change of heart, telling Lola that if dying on her own terms was what she needed, he would help her so long as she told Jay the truth. How will Jay react, and will Billy stand by his word?
For information, help and support on matters associated with Lola’s storyline, head to Macmillan Cancer Support or Brain Tumour Research.
Read more:
- 5 EastEnders spoilers next week: Ben struggles to accept Lola’s prognosis
- EastEnders’ Harriet Thorpe on Elaine recast and “rebirthing” character
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