Shut-Ins

S03:E01 - Claire

Claire has been bed bound for the last 6 years. Trapped by her 40 stone body she can only see the world through the window of the room where she spends her life. She has two daughters -Tracey and Jasmine - who need to do nearly everything for her. Tracey has two young children and a home of her own so the burden of care falls mainly on 19 year old Jasmine. She has spent all her teenage years looking after the mother she’s devoted to. We track their journey as Nick Carter – a surgeon at the local hospital – battles to get Clare the help she needs. He sees that it isn’t just Claire who is shut in – but also her daughters – their own emotional distress means they too are gaining an unhealthy amount of weight. Nick wants to put Claire through two surgeries – one to drastically reduce the size of her stomach – the other to remove the rolls of excess flesh that hang from her stomach that will hamper her ability to ever walk properly or be able to exercise. Claire’s vulnerabilities have left her clinging to her daughters. Her daughters seek their freedom but are anxious about letting go. A family therapist is brought in to try to shift the dynamics in the way the family operate. An unexpected diagnosis during the first surgery threatens to put all their plans at risk and could leave Claire more dependent on her daughters than ever.