EastEnders are set to tackle a new health storyline as a character is diagnosed with Usher Syndrome in upcoming scenes.
Usher Syndrome is a rare genetic condition that affects hearing, vision and, in some cases, balance.
In upcoming episodes, Whitney Dean and Zack Hudson (Shona McGarty and James Farrar) are shocked when Britney Wainwright (Lola Campbell) is diagnosed with the condition.
Viewers will know that Britney is deaf, and uses hearing aids, as Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer) explained to Whitney when they first met.
After growing closer to Britney, Whitney paid her mum, Keeley Wainwright, to take her off her hands, and has since been unofficially fostering her.
Britney has been settling into life on Albert Square, but things are set to take a turn for the worse when she has a bike crash in upcoming scenes.
Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick) rushes them to A&E, and ends up being late to the London Marathon start line as a result.
At the hospital, Britney is diagnosed with Type 2 Usher Syndrome, and Whitney and Zack are devastated to learn that the condition will eventually lead to sight loss as well as hearing problems.
As Whitney does her best to research Usher Syndrome, Zack worries that the added stress isn’t doing their unborn baby any good.
After sending Britney off for her first day at school, Zack suggests enrolling her with a local GP and telling them about her condition.
However, Whitney lies and insists that she’s already done it – terrified that the truth about Britney’s fostering may end up being exposed.
When Whitney tries and fails to persuade Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) to bypass the checks required to register Britney, she realises she has no choice but to haul Keeley to the GP to get her signed up…
