Dame Meera Syal, Breast cancer drugs, Black child Down syndrome

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Dame Meera Syal is a multi-award winning writer and actor, and a name and face very familiar to many of us having graced our screens for decades now. She's just published her first memoir and is also currently on stage in The Children at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in London. With her trademark warmth and humour she joins Anita Rani in the studio. A breakthrough breast cancer drug, Enhertu, has been approved for NHS use in England. Charities and patients have campaigned for it to be more widely available since 2024, when the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said Enhertu was not good value for money. The drug can give patients almost seven extra months to live on average - with some living up to three years longer. Women in Scotland have had access to the drug on the NHS since 2023, and it is available in 26 other European countries. Anita is joined by campaigner Sophie Blake who has stage 4 breast cancer and Dr Simon Vincent, Chief Scientific Officer at Breast Cancer Now. In our recent series of features about Daddy Issues, reporter Jo Morris has been speaking to listeners exploring the impact of paternal absence. Here, Anita is joined by Emma and her father Arthur, who share their story. Emma bonded with her father over sport, as she was a competitive swimmer, and Arthur was a British four time World Powerlifting Champion. But then Arthur became addicted to drugs and left the family home. They discuss the impact of paternal absence and describe how through their Christian faith they came to forgiveness and reconciliation. Founded two years ago by four Black SEND mothers, the Black Child Down Syndrome Project was created to address the lack of representation and support for Black families raising children with Down Syndrome. Earlier this year, their Reflecting Radiance exhibition in London showcased portraits of children supported by the project. Photographed by photographer and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Misan Harriman, the exhibition featured a takeover of the Piccadilly Lights. The organisation has since been nominated for a BBC Make a Difference Award and a National Diversity Award. Co-founders Danise Bartlett-Grant and Oneness Sankara join Anita. And Bonnie Greer, the playwright, novelist and cultural commentator, who died this week, is remembered. Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Corinna Jones