Coronation Street’s Kevin Webster faces an agonising decision after his young son is diagnosed with sepsis.
The mechanic must overcome his shock and decide whether to have Jack’s foot amputated or face losing him to the life-threatening blood poisoning.
Jack, a promising footballer, grazed his leg but his condition rapidly deteriorated and his father is left with little choice.
Actor Michael Le Vell, who plays “heartbroken” Kevin, said his character does not know who to turn to.
“(Kevin) didn’t know things could move this quickly from what he thought was just a little scratch,” said Le Vell.
“Kevin had seen it and wasn’t concerned about it, yet in a matter of days it was life-threatening.
“Kevin doesn’t understand how a fit young lad can suddenly find himself in this position. It’s devastating.”
Viewers will witness painful scenes when Jack, waking up after surgery, cries as he starts to realise what has happened to him.
Le Vell said: “He doesn’t understand at first, he can still feel sensation in his leg when he wakes up and it’s really confusing for him.
“When he starts to realise the implications, he cries and it breaks Kevin’s heart.”
Kevin faces another dilemma as he begins to blame daughter Sophie, who in turn blames the NHS and says she wants to sue medics for missing the signs.
The storyline takes on a personal angle for 11-year-old Kyran Bowes, who plays Jack, after he met a family going through it.
Le Vell praised him for dealing with it in a “really mature fashion”.
Although devastating, Le Vell thinks it is “fantastic” that the storyline could raise awareness about sepsis.
“Soaps can be so great at making people aware of different issues – not ramming it down people’s throats, just making people aware of different situations that affect families.
“It’s like with the Aidan suicide – no-one suspected he was that low but the signs were there for people to see.”