It was a scary start to the week for former Hollyoaks favourite Sarah Jayne Dunn after her young son suffered a nasty fall at home.
The 44-year-old actress revealed she had to take nine-year-old Stanley to A&E after he tumbled down the stairs in what she described as a frightening accident. Taking to Instagram, Sarah shared a candid snap from the hospital, thanking followers for their kind messages after concern quickly poured in.
In the photo, Stanley, her only child with husband Jonathan Smith, gave a brave little smile for the camera despite the ordeal. Sarah, meanwhile, sat beside him, wrapped up in a bright pink jumper. She covered her mouth with her hand, offering a weary but relieved expression.
Explaining what had happened, she wrote: ‘Having a child equals regular visits to A&E. ‘Stan is fine, he took a tumble down the stairs and has hurt his wrist so we are waiting on an x ray’
Any parent knows how quickly accidents can happen, and Sarah later shared more details once they were back home. Posting a video titled ‘the joy of kids’, she explained that Stanley had landed awkwardly on his wrist and had mostly ‘shocked himself more than anything’ during the fall.
Still, she noticed he was being careful with his arm afterwards.
‘He was tentative,’ she admitted, adding: ‘So I took him to A&E this morning thinking it might be a bit quieter.
‘It is quiet. It’s just we’ve been there hours’.
After a lengthy hospital visit, the pair finally got answers. Thankfully, the injury wasn’t as serious as it could have been, but it wasn’t nothing either. Stanley had suffered ‘two little fractures in his wrist’ and now needs to wear a splint for the next month while it heals.
‘It could have been worse so I’m glad we got it checked,’ Sarah shared, clearly relieved that they’d decided not to take any chances.
Sarah has always been open with fans about the realities of family life, often sharing honest glimpses of parenting, the good, the chaotic and everything in between.
Sarah famously portrayed Mandy Richardson on Hollyoaks from 1996 until 2021, becoming one of the soap’s most recognisable faces. However, her long-running stint on the Channel 4 show came to an abrupt end when bosses reportedly gave her an ultimatum: leave subscription-based platform OnlyFans or lose her job.
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The actress chose to continue her work on the adult-only site and departed the soap in November 2021. At the time, Hollyoaks stated it does not permit cast members to be active on certain 18+ platforms due to its responsibility to its younger audience.
Despite the controversy, Sarah has repeatedly said she feels empowered by her decision. She has previously described her move as being ‘about taking back control, about empowerment and confidence and having full power over my choices’.
Financially, the leap appears to have paid off; she has claimed to have earned £700,000 in 2022 alone. But she has also been open about the downsides, including harsh judgment and online abuse, particularly from those questioning her role as a mum.
Through it all, though, her priority is clearly her family.
This week’s hospital dash was a reminder of how quickly life can shift from normal to nerve-wracking in a matter of seconds. Thankfully, Stanley is now safely home, splint in place, and on the mend, and Sarah, like any relieved parent, is simply grateful it wasn’t worse.