Coronation Street star Natalie Amber has revealed her disability has “changed her for the better” as she continues to support Rob Burrows’ charity.
The actress, 45, joined the ITV soap as Shelly Rossington, who suffered from motor neurone disease, last year but her time on the cobbles was short-lived as her friend Paul Foreman (Peter Ash), who was also diagnosed with the same condition, was informed of her death.
Motor neurone disease (MND) is a rare condition that affects the brain and nerves and is ultimately fatal.
Symptoms, which worsen over time, include muscle weakness, spasms, difficulty speaking and difficulty swallowing.
Natalie learned more about the devastation the disease causes through her character’s story and since leaving the cobbles she has continued to campaign to raise awareness of the condition.
Coronation Street star Natalie Amber has revealed her disability has “changed her for the better” as she continues to support Rob Burrows’ charity
The actress joined the ITV soap as Shelly Rossington, a patient with motor neurone disease, and her character passed away after befriending sufferer Paul Foreman (Peter Ash).
Natalie, who played Shelly in the soap opera for two months, revealed to Mirror:’My disability has changed me for the better.’
“I have a huge passion for trying to help and make a difference for people, and after playing Shelly I wanted to do even more. My disability has given me a lot more empathy.”
When Natalie was 35, she fell on stage while performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
A herniated disc pierced his spinal cord and he ended up spending three years in the hospital.
However, she returned to working as a disabled actress in 2017 and has previously had roles in Silent Witness, Life, ITV drama Paranoid and Netflix hit Fool Me Once.
The actress told The Mirror she found it much harder to get auditions after her accident, but even when she did get roles, she sometimes experienced prejudice on set.
She recalled: ‘The attitude was horrendous and the way I was treated was quite degrading, at auditions they would tell me bluntly ‘No, your character would not be in a chair’.
However, the actress said she decided to do an ‘experiment’ to get auditions that included not mentioning that she was in a wheelchair.
Natalie learned more about the devastation the disease causes through her character’s story and since leaving the cobbles she has campaigned to raise awareness.
The star also admitted to The Mirror that people could often be “nasty” or “condescending” on set because of her disability, however her cast were on hand to help.
He also admitted that if he had called ahead and asked if the audition was accessible, there would be “deadly silence” on the other end.
Before her character’s death on the ITV soap, she had emotional scenes with Peter Ash, 39, and Daniel Brocklebank, 44, who plays Paul’s partner Billy Mayhew.
According to The Mirror, the couple did “everything they could” to help her, however, not everyone she encountered on set was open-minded.
The star admitted that people could often be “nasty”, “condescending” and “impatient” and never asked her if she needed help.
Natalie’s health problems began after she joined a theatre company in the United States in 2010.
During his time there he suffered four separate falls and continued to work despite the pain, but it eventually became so intense that he could barely walk.
The star later revealed that she had to undergo a series of spinal operations over four years in an attempt to repair her ruptured disc and had to replace two discs with prosthetics.
He also confessed that his last operation in 2014 was not so “simple” and he ended up spending three years in the hospital.
According to The Mirror, Natalie now has no function in her left leg and the pain in her spine is so severe she is unable to put pressure through her right leg.
He is also reported to have neuropathic bowel and bladder problems and occasionally has to use a feeding tube.
As well as acting, Natalie works as an Access Officer for BAFTA award-winning organisation TripleC, which strives to create more opportunities for disabled, deaf and neurodivergent artists.
She also recently organised and participated in Roll and Raise for MND, an event to raise money for the MND Association, the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation and the Rob Burrow Centre.
The rugby star passed away last month at the age of 41, almost five years after he was diagnosed with the neurological disease.
Natalie has been campaigning to raise funds for the Rob Burrow Centre, following the rugby star’s death last month, five years after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (pictured in 2022).