EastEnders’ Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) would be the first to admit it – she’s not been a brilliant mum.
Ricky Branning (Frankie Day) expects to be abandoned by his mum, primarily because of her track record of doing just that.
Despite raising him for six years in Portugal, Sam came home for her beloved mum, Peggy Mitchell’s (Barbara Windsor), funeral alongside her son and left him with his dad, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), before covertly fleeing back to Portugal alone.
She returned six years later at the behest of brother Phil (Steve McFadden), and made great strides to mend her broken relationship with Ricky, promising to stand by him when he gets Lily Slater (Lillia Turner) pregnant, though she left him once again when she got a job in Spain.
When she returned, her feud with Phil reached unfathomable heights and, banished from the Square, she stole money from his safe and left it in an envelope for Ricky, before abandoning him once again.
Sam staged her latest return at the tail end of last year, wracked with anxiety and riddled with fear over the discovery of a lump in her breast. After stealing the contents of Phil’s safe (again), she invited Ricky out to lunch, where he quickly picked up on his mum’s off demeanor.
While lamenting that she’d never been the mum that he needed or deserved, she reiterated that she wanted to give him a ‘leg up’ in life, and the money she’d stolen from Phil would be just that.
Terrified and teary, Ricky questioned Sam as to why she was acting as though it was the last time they’d see each other, reporting these fears to Jack after Sam scarpered.
When Sam came clean about the cancer, she again attempted to create a nest-egg for Ricky by scamming her brothers best friend, dementia-suffering Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley).
Though she was discovered, she was ultimately forgiven when Nigel explained how terrified and desperate she was, with her telling Ricky she was attempting to prove her love for him while not knowing any other way.
With the encouragement of Jack, Phil and Nigel, she sought medical help and, after a biopsy, received a breast cancer diagnosis, necessitating a lumpectomy operation.
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Receiving an official operation date has shaken Sam further, as the reality of the terrifying situation begins to set in.
Next week sees Ricky organise a birthday party for Phil and when Sam’s shifty behaviour causes him to panic that she’ll leave again, the party is all-but-over.
When George Knight (Colin Salmon) finds her on the Square, lumpectomy operation letter in hand, he gently presses her to be open and honest about her diagnosis with her son.
Heeding his advice, Sam comes clean about her cancer to an incredibly sympathetic Ricky, who promises that he’ll support her through her entire journey.
As the operation rapidly approaches, can the bravery Sam’s already shown and the support of her loved ones see her through?
