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2. Holland

What happens when your baby upends the life you thought you’d have?

Unless you’re a parent and a surprise diagnosis for your child has come your way, you probably won’t have heard of ‘Welcome to Holland’. But it’s a bit of a thing if it has.

The essay is shared between parents of children who’ve been given a shock diagnosis. For almost 40 years, it’s been passed from person to person, like a ‘welcome to the club you never thought you wanted to be a part of’.

ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Correspondent Katy Watson was handed the essay within days of her son Otis’ birth.

Across this series, Katy speaks to parents whose children have a range of conditions. It’s a broad church of people – with an even broader range of reactions and experiences of a diagnosis. One thing they all have in common is the realisation that the issue isn’t with their child, it’s with society.

Episode 2, Holland: what happens when the dust settles after the shock of a diagnosis? Katy speaks to Chris Read and Stuart Reid, both fathers of pre-school children.

Presenter: Katy Watson
Series Producer: Sarah Shebbeare
Series consultant: Emma Tracey
Executive Producer: Joe Kent

With thanks to Emma Perl Kingsley, author of Welcome to Holland, and Chris Read, songwriter of 'Every Atom of You'.

Available now

14 minutes

Last on

Tue 13 May 2025 13:45

Broadcast

  • Tue 13 May 2025 13:45