A Rare Find

A Rare Find is a comedy short film with a difference, as it hopes to raise awareness and start conversation surrounding newborn screening, the blood spot/heel prick test, and the desperate need for positive progress within the current UK newborn screening programme (which at present screens for only 9 conditions - for context, the USA screen for up to 59).

Life with a newborn is hard enough, as our struggling young parents (Jack Robertson & Chantelle Taggart) find, but the challenges of a long "diagnostic odyssey" can make this even harder. Early screening can be a huge positive step to find out if a rare condition is present, as early intervention and therapy is absolutely key.

The blood spot/heel prick test currently checks for 9 rare conditions in the UK and is ordinarily taken in the first five days of a newborn's life, although as in the film babies can be screened up to the age of 12 months should parents reconsider (in this case the blood spot will test for all conditions except cystic fibrosis, which can only be screened for up to 8 weeks of age).