Ellie Simmonds demands better disability adoption attitudes after emotional documentary
Aldridge Paralympic gold medallist Ellie Simmonds has called for better provision for the adoption of disabled children after discovering why her own mother gave her away after two days
Ellie Simmonds documentary Finding My Secret Family was aired on ITV on Thursday (July 6) and touched the hearts of viewers who described her story as "inspiring" praising her "bravery".
Revealing her and her siblings had been adopted Ellie, now 27, wanted to trace the mother and father who gave her up for adoption after discovering she had dwarfism.
As well as documenting her own journey of self discovery, which included plenty of tears and emotions, Ellie wanted to shine a light on the plight of children in 2023 who do not get adopted due to disabilities.
In a shocking part of the documentary Ellie saw the fact sheet given to her birth parents about her condition dwarfism.
She said: "This says we are associated with evil, stupidity and usually work in the circus. This was given to parents in the 1990s. I can't believe it. I can understand why my mother, who was a single mother would struggle with this information.
Ellie also read comments from her birth mother at the time of her birth saying she wish she had an abortion and wished she was dead.
She took just two days to decide to give Ellie up for adoption.
Tragically, the foster mother who looked after Ellie from two days old until she was three months and given to her adoptive family, had died before Ellie could meet her again.
However, her foster mother's family members said she always watched Ellie on TV convinced she was the baby she looked after all those years ago. She was proud as any parent when Ellie won gold at the London Olympics.
Visibly upset she could not thank her foster mother Ellie took solace in the fact the woman who nursed her as a baby realised how successful she had become as an adult and athlete.
With help from a social worker Ellie did track down her birth mother, who agreed to correspond with the Strictly Come Dancing Star.
Ellie said: "We agreed to take it slow, but she said she thinks of me every day and me as her daughter."
On BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour Ellie said attitudes needed to change about adoption and disabled children.
She said: "This is 2023 and there are still so many children not being adopted just because they are disabled. We need to change the language, and the change the perceptions of disability in this country."
Fellow guest, American composer Esperanza Spalding, praised Ellie after hearing her story saying: "She is the most positive and amazing person, I cannot believe what I just heard from her. She is so inspiring."
