Natalie Cassidy shared the heartbreaking story of her nine-year-old daughter’s emergency hospitalization. The ‘EastEnders’ star, best known for her role as soap opera Sonia Fowler, revealed she rushed her daughter Joanie to A&E after the child broke her arm in a school accident.Cassidy spoke about the heartbreak of the incident, which happened just weeks after Joanie underwent surgery on the same arm after a previous injury. She shares Joanie with her boyfriend Marc Humphreys. He also has an older daughter, 15-year-old Eliza, from a previous relationship.
A tragic incident at school
Cassidy gave a candid account of the accident. He explained how he and his family planned to live together at home. “I used to work a little in the morning at home. [Marc] went outside, put in a paddling pool, cut all the grass – thought we would have a few days, like a mini vacation, at home. Then the phone rang,” he recounted on his life with the Nat podcast.The call brought sad news. “Joanie has broken her arm again. The same arm – it’s broken into pieces. Painkillers, same surgery,” Cassidy said, describing the injury in detail. This happened when Joanie sneaked down the hall before PE at school.
Cassidy revealed that her daughter broke the same arm a few weeks after the surgery. Photograph (Natalie Cassidy)
Reply to Natalie Cassidy
The emotional weight of the situation became greater for the actors. “I heard that I will have a nervous problem. I’m telling the truth here. I really fell to pieces. I was not in a good place. Just his little body – with medicine and all the pain,” Cassidy said clearly about how he thought during the crisis.
Clinical research broken again and again
After the second fracture, medical experts began to investigate whether something else could be causing Joanie to break bones. Cassidy revealed that her daughter had tested positive for a “deficiency” that could explain the extent of the injury.However, the test results came back normal. “He had blood tests, and everything is in different ways. It’s absolutely perfect. The consultant actually said, ‘I think it’s just an accident,'” said Cassidy, indicating that the medical team could not find a physical explanation for repeated fractures.
The actress admitted that she was very tired after her daughter’s recovery but expressed her relief that the medical tests showed that she was fine. Photograph (Natalie Cassidy)
Natalie Cassidy’s advocacy for social media safety
Aside from dealing with her family’s health issues, Cassidy has been vocal about child safety. In February, he announced his support for a ban on social media for under-16s, and backed a campaign called Big Tech’s Little Victims.The campaign revealed the findings of testing an algorithm designed to reveal what platforms show young users. Four fake profiles that were set up over a period of at least 13 years were sent hundreds of posts about their content in just one week. “I can’t tell you how shocking it is. They’re looking at sexism, racism, violence, misogyny, anorexia, self-harm and even suicidal thoughts. It’s amazing,” Cassidy said, expressing her dismay at the things kids get.
Natalie Cassidy’s work is complicated by the past
Cassidy joined EastEnders at the age of 10 and announced that she would be leaving the soap in 2025, later branching out into podcasting with her show Life with Nat. The actress has previously discussed controversial decisions, including appearing in a series of weight loss videos in the 2000s called ‘Then & Now’ and ‘The Perfect Ten.’Reflecting on the videos, Cassidy admitted it “didn’t go well” taking part in the series, where she lost four stone.