![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/itv-viewers-break-down-in-tears-as-ellie-simmonds-meets-birth-mum-for-first-time/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/crop-22956895.jpg&description=ELLIE'S STORY Published : 22:00, 6 Jul 2023 Updated : 22:06, 6 Jul 2023 ITV viewers broke down in tears tonight as they watched Paralympian Ellie Simmonds' heartbreaking adoption story. The Strictly star, who was put up for adoption at just two weeks old after being diagnosed with dwarfism, explored her past in documentary Finding My Secret Family. 4 Ellie Simmonds broke down in tears as she explored her past in a new ITV documentary 4 Ellie met her birth mu mfor the first time Credit: ITV It culminated with her meeting her birth mum for the first time in very emotional scenes. The reunion came after Ellie read an old letter handwritten by her mum in which she wished she'd had an abortion or that Ellie had died. With a social worker acting as an intermediary, Ellie wrote to her mum explaining she wasn't angry at her and that she wanted to get to know her. She sobbed as she read her mum's reply in which she said she had suffered with "guilt and self-hatred". She also said that she had suffered a traumatic split from Ellie's birth father which seriously impacted her mental health. After the meeting, Ellie said: "It was amazing. We spoke about everything over the last five hours. We've got the same sense of humour we were laughing so much. "I felt like her face was just like me. What touched my heart was that she thinks about me everyday and she always sees me as a daughter." Nervous Ellie told how she chose not to show her mum on screen due to fears over how she would be perceived. Viewers were left in pieces, with one writing on Twitter: "Absolutely heart breaking TV programme. To hear her mum wanted an abortion of Ellie is just heart breaking. I feel for her so much. I lost my baby at 17 weeks to turners syndrome and no matter what I would of had her." Another said: "Ellie Simmonds is a national treasure and has such a beautiful heart. I'm already fascinated by her story of being rejected as baby and finding her birth family." Ellie, 28, a five-time Paralympic gold){kind=link}
ITV viewers broke down in tears tonight as they watched Paralympian Ellie Simmonds’ heartbreaking adoption story.
The Strictly star, who was put up for adoption at just two weeks old after being diagnosed with dwarfism, explored her past in documentary Finding My Secret Family.
It culminated in her meeting her birth mum for the first time in very emotional scenes.
The reunion came after Ellie, 28, read an old letter handwritten by her mum in which she wished she’d had an abortion or that Ellie had died.
With a social worker acting as an intermediary, Ellie wrote to her mum explaining she wasn’t angry at her and that she wanted to get to know her.