Ellie Simmonds expressed her surprise after finding that she was labelled ‘evil’ and’stupid’ in legal documents supplied to her biological mother.
The Paralympic gold medalist swimmer, who also appeared on the final season of Strictly with Nikita Kuzmin, just recently disclosed she was adopted when she was three months old.
Ellie, 28, from Walsall, began swimming at the age of five and was only 13 when she won two gold medals for Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing.
Ellie, who has achondroplasia, is now retired and has lately dedicated her attention to locating her biological family, a process that has been documented for the documentary locating My Secret Family.
Ellie was given the information sheet her biological mother received before she was born during the ITVX broadcast.
According to the text, children with dwarfism “tend to be strong and acrobatic, which is possibly why they have traditionally been involved in the circus and other types of theatre.”
It continued: ‘Children have to deal with being stared at and laughed at by other children. Indeed, there are those with normal height who equate short stature with evil and stupidity.’
On Thursday’s BBC Breakfast, a stunned Ellie commented that such horrible words were said only 28 years ago, adding, ‘That wasn’t that long ago.’
‘The language that was used, I’ve never had a child so I don’t know what it’s like but I’m sure parents are vulnerable. You’ve just gone through the whole birth situation, you’re emotional and you get given this letter about your child and you have visions about what they’re going to be like.
Watching #elliesimmonds documentary & it is so heartbreaking. Also, the fact she was born in 1994 & the medical sheet her birth parents got about people with dwarfism. Like they are "stupid" and "evil" & would be in the circus. Truly disgusting.
— Lola| StarStruckRebelStarfish| Fan Acct. (@msgellerwhyucry) July 6, 2023
#Elliesimmonds if @EllieSimmonds1 parents weren't given the piece of paper about dwarfism, with the reference to evil and being in circuses maybe they wouldn't have made the decision to give her up for adoption. That horrible info may have swayed them!! 🤔
— ✨ Rosalind™ 🌙✨ (@Rozzy67) July 6, 2023
Watching #elliesimmonds. ASTOUNDED by the wording on the information sheet her birth parents were given. Children with dwarfism described as "stupid" and "evil". Suited for careers in the circus! This wasn't 100 years ago, it was in the 1990s!! Good grief!!
— Telibarb 🇺🇦 (@Telibarb) July 6, 2023
Not shocked information career in circus and the evil was just well plain evil to even think let alone put on legal documents given to parents who are shocked and terrified as it is 😪 #EllieSimmonds
— Yvonne 💙 (@Momrocks50) July 6, 2023
‘It’s scary. It’s evil. They’re saying the circus type of thing. It’s not nice to recieve.’
Ellie continued: ‘I haven’t gone through that. I’ve had the most fulfilled life and that’s why I’m so passionate about this documentary.’
Viewers were equally shocked, with one writing: ‘Watching #elliesimmonds. ASTOUNDED by the wording on the information sheet her birth parents were given. Children with dwarfism described as “stupid” and “evil”. Suited for careers in the circus! This wasn’t 100 years ago, it was in the 1990s!! Good grief!!’
‘Watching #elliesimmonds documentary & it is so heartbreaking. Also, the fact she was born in 1994 & the medical sheet her birth parents got about people with dwarfism. Like they are “stupid” and “evil” & would be in the circus. Truly disgusting,’ another fumed.
While it is not seen on screen in the documentary, Ellie went on to meet her biological mother, with whom she stated she spent five hours conversing on This Morning on Wednesday.
‘I was so nervous, and we were supposed to meet and I got a migraine and had to cancel, but the second time I got to meet her, but that first moment we just embraced and hugged and it was the most amazing feeling,’ she said.
She went on to add that while she had only intended to spend 15 minutes conversing, the time flew by once the conversation got going.
Ellie Simmonds: Finding My Secret Family is available to stream on ITVX.
Source My Celebrity Life.
