Rhoda meets her daughter
Rhoda Mullucks is a mother of three, who was first introduced in Series Five, Episode One, and was also seen in an episode of Series 6, she later returned for the 2022 Christmas special pregnant with her fourth child. She is portrayed by Liz White.
Overview[]
Pregnant with her third child, Rhoda and her husband Bernie approached birth with calmness and ease, expecting things to go as smoothly as they did for their first two. When Rhoda went into labour, she and her husband calmly, happily walked to the maternity home, where she gave birth with assistance from Nurses Patience Mount and Shelagh Turner. However, immediately upon delivery, the two nurses saw that the baby girl was born without proper arms and legs, but with deformed stumps and fingers and toes. The baby did not breathe at once, and it took some time for the baby to come around, and when it did, Shelagh hurried her away before Rhoda could see her. When Dr. Turner returned to the maternity home and examined the baby, he told Shelagh there was no telling what internal damage there was or if she was in pain. Tearfully, Shelagh says she should not have gotten her breathing, that she should have just let her go so she would not be in pain.
Through the night, Dr. Turner monitors the baby and soon realizes she "wants to live". He feeds the baby formula and soothes her by reading aloud from The Lancet.
When Rhoda insists on seeing her baby, still not knowing what she looks like, Shelagh sits with her, offers her a cigarette, and explains that the baby "didn't develop as she should". Rhoda thinks she means that the baby is a dwarf, but Shelagh explains that her baby was born without limbs. As Shelagh explained this to Rhoda, an excited Mr. Mullucks sneaks through the maternity home to sneak a peek at his newborn baby. Upon unwrapping her from her blanket, he is horrified to find his baby deformed. Storming from the room, he encounters Dr. Turner and angrily shouts "How could you let that thing live?!" When he returns to Rhoda just in time to hear her demand to see her baby, he says there is nothing to discuss and that the baby is not allowed in their house.
Despite her fear and heartbreak, Rhoda still wants to see her baby. Alone in the room with her, Rhoda unwraps the baby from her blankets and promises the baby that she won't give up on her, because she's hers. Rhoda kisses her baby and names her Susan, because it’s a simple name and she’ll never have to explain or spell it for anyone.
Later, Mr. Mullucks brings the other children to see their mother. Rhoda refused to give up Susan, and Bernie refuses to have her in the house, thus Rhoda has stayed an extra few days in the maternity home. When Sister Mary Cynthia goes to his house to advise him, she convinces him to take his children to see their mother and baby sister. Rhoda's children are accepting of Susan, their mother making them promise not to treat her different and defend her when others make fun of her. One of the younger boys asks to hold her, and Bernie snaps no, and says he's too rough and that he'll hurt her. He picks up Susan, and holds her close, promising his wife they'll make it work.
A few months later, in episode 5x08, Susan has grown into a happy, healthy baby, able to grasp her rattle and spoons in her fingers, but her mother is still terrified to show her off in public, fearing ridicule. She says at the children's hospital, she saw a little baby boy there like Susan, who was there to get his fingers amputated, because they "would never be any good". Rhoda doesn't want anything like that for Susan, and Dr. Turner says he'll refer her to an occupational therapist to help Susan make use of her fingers. Rhoda admits she forgets she's different a lot, because Susan is just like any other baby but at night she remembers she doesn't have arms or legs, and lies in bed shaking.
Rhoda and her family
Bernie is said to still struggle showing Susan as much affection as his other children, but has taken to calling her "my beautiful" and taking his family on holidays by the sea. Later, during Sister Evangelina's wake, Shelagh pulls her aside to the maternity home to tell her about Thalidomide. Horrified, Rhoda remembers that around the time she got pregnant with Susan, her sister sent her Thalidomide through the mail to help her sleep. Rhoda feels incredibly guilty and tearfully apologizes to her baby over and over. Rhoda is later seen amongst the crowd of mourners that have gathered outside Nonnatus House as Sister Evangelina's funeral procession begins, and she plants a kiss on Susan's head.
Months later, Susan is now 18 months old. Her mother still keeps her wrapped up in public, and expresses concern over how Susan will function in the world without limbs, both socially and physically. Bernie is shown to love his daughter greatly. In Series 6, Rhoda comes to Dr. Turner with her concerns of Susan's development without limbs, and he brings her and Bernie to a children's hospital where "thalidomide children" as they've come to be known, can receive specialist treatment. However, upon seeing the other children affected from thalidomide, Bernie can't take it and leaves the room. It is later revealed that when he sees those children--a little boy without arms, and others with malformed hands or feet--he feels ill. He says he can't stand the thought of his daughter being poked and prodded and made to feel like a freak. Rhoda vehemently replies that Susan need treatment for prosthetics and that she can't be wrapped up forever. Hurt and angry, Bernie throws the fact that Rhoda was the one who took Distaval during pregnancy and made Susan the way she was.
With a heavy heart, Rhoda leaves Susan at the hospital to receive treatment. She also makes friends with another mother whose son became deaf and armless due to thalidomide. Rhoda's older children, especially her daughter, Belinda, berate her for leaving Susan in a hospital.
Later, when Rhoda finds her husband in a pub, having a beer in the afternoon, the two reconcile, resolving to never blame one another for their child's misfortune and disability. Rhoda states that if anyone's to blame, it's the company who manufactured the drug, who ignored the disfigured babies found in Germany (where it was first tested in the late 1950s).
Later, Rhoda and Bernie join a "Thalidomide Parents" group, where they, and other parents of thalidomide-affected children share their children's deformities. In voice-over, Jenny explains that eventually, the parents brought the drug companies to court for negligence causing their children's abnormalities. She says it is a fight that has gone on to present day, driven by love and anger.
Rhoda Mullucks returns in the 2022 Christmas special expecting another baby at 40 and is one of the first mothers to turn up at the Florrie hall, the new venue for the Nonnatus Maternity clinic where she happily greets Mrs Turner. When being checked over she tells them that St Cuthbert's gave her an X ray for extra reassurance, though Dr Turner is adamant that not one mother who took drugs containing thalidomide gave birth to another affected child after the drug was banned. They recommend a Maternity home delivery but Rhoda would rather not leave Susan, they get onto the subject of the Sunday School Nativity which confuses Rhoda as teacher Mrs Avis told her the parts hadn’t been assigned yet. She goes to confront Mrs Avis on Susan not getting a part who tells her she is worried about Susan’s safety, though Rhoda is sure she is just worried about what it would look like having her on stage.
Her husband Bernie was always out drinking at the hand and shears pub, Bernie said he was arranging picking up a dolls house for Susan. After that he and Rhoda argue about potential thalidomide compensation, Rhoda is of the opinion that they should hold out for more while Bernie wants to take what they can, citing the other thalidomide parents who are holding out for more are the families who have money anyway.
Later when Rhoda is helping Susan with her artificial legs her son Perry wants to play in the snow, Susan joins him and falls over hitting her head. An ambulance is called and Rhoda goes with Susan and stays with her until after visiting hours, Dr Turner drives her home. Just as Shelagh Turner was coming for a home visit she heard a family argument, her daughter Belinda was angry because Rhoda never asked her oldest two anything not to do with Susan, Belinda wanted to be a nurse and Perry was gifted in woodwork. On that visit Shelagh convinces Rhoda to have her baby in the maternity home.
Rhoda with all her children
Rhoda goes into labour and kicks Bernie out of the delivery room, Bernie was an alcoholic and Nurse Trixie Franklin takes him to alcoholics anonymous. Rhoda didn’t want the baby, as it was another body and mouth and she had no idea how she would manage, Shelagh assures her that good mothers do and she was a very good mother and that the most miraculous organ in a mothers body is her heart because it never stops growing. Rhoda gives birth to a boy who she decides to name Patrick after Dr Turner.
The whole Mullucks family attend the talent show Fred Buckle organised called poplartunity knocks. Her daughter Susan performs in the show dressed as a snowman with Angela, May and Teddy Turner with her whole family watching.
Trivia[]
- In August 2022 it was confirmed that Liz White would be reprising her role as Rhoda and that the Mullucks family would return for the 2022 Christmas special.
Quotes[]
Oh love, what a mess, what a mess eh? We'll sort something out, I promise, cos your mine, mine and I'm not bailing out on you.
-To her baby daughter Susan upon meeting her
Sometimes in life you've got to be grateful for what you HAVE got. Not what you've not got
-Rhoda to her family on meeting baby Susan
We aren't to blame for this, other people made those pills, other people sold them.
-Rhoda to her husband Bernie