Johnny Woodfield

Johnny Woodfield is Vanessa Woodfield and Kirin Kotecha's son, although it is believed that Adam Barton is his father after Kirin's father Rakesh Kotecha manipulated DNA results.

2015: Birth
Vanessa discovered she was pregnant after she had a one night stand with Adam Barton, while she and her boyfriend Kirin and Adam and his girlfriend Victoria were both on breaks. Vanessa was unsure if Adam or Kirin was the father of her unborn baby so she and Adam undertook a DNA test to determine who the father was. Kirin was devastated to discover that Vanessa had cheated on him and her baby may not be his. Kirin’s father Rakesh took the DNA results letter before Vanessa could see it and changed the results as he did not want teenager Kirin to have the responsibility of being a father. Kirin and Vanessa split up due to the results. Rakesh’s girlfriend Priya Sharma discovered that Rakesh manipulated the results but agreed to keep it secret.

In September 2015 Vanessa was accidentally pushed over at Kirin’s cordial business launch. Later that day she went into labour whilst walking home. The doctors tried to stop the labour but they couldn’t and Vanessa gave birth 14 weeks prematurely to a baby boy weighing just 760 grams, with both Adam and Kirin by her side. Vanessa decided to name the baby Johnny after Adam’s new wife Victoria gave her blessing despite the previous day asking her not to name him Johnny. Adam and Vanessa visited Johnny in the NICU, but Vanessa became distressed at how little her son was. Priya tried to persuade Rakesh to tell Kirin that Johnny was his son, and that Kirin should be by his side if he died, but Rakesh was adamant that Kirin should never know the truth.

When Johnny was a few days old Adam became annoyed that Vanessa wasn't with Johnny and when he went into the hospital that day his incubator alarm when off. The doctor gave him more oxygen and told Adam that it was likely caused by an infection and that he has put Johnny on antibiotics. Adam phoned local vicar Ashley Thomas and asked perform an emergency baptism for Johnny. Victoria managed to persuade Vanessa to go to the hospital and Vanessa, Adam, Victoria and Adam's mum Moira Dingle, were present when Ashley baptised Johnny. In early October 2015, Johnny's incubator alarm went off again and Adam couldn't get hold of Vanessa. When Vanessa finally arrives at the hospital, Dr Carr told Adam, Vanessa, Victoria and Moira that Johnny has necrotizing enterocolitis and will need surgery the next day. Johnny's surgery went well but Moira notices that Vanessa is not bonding well with Johnny and tries to talk to her but she walks out of the hospital. Moira confides her suspicions in Vanessa's friend Rhona Goskirk who also talks to Vanessa. Rhona then worried Adam that Vanessa is not bonding with Johnny and there is no guarantee that she'll ever feel anything for him.

The following day Adam asks Rakesh about his legal rights to Johnny and whether he and Victoria could get custody. Priya overhears the conversation and worries the true paternity could come out if Adam requests a DNA but Rakesh reassures her that Adam is on Johnny's birth certificate so it's unlikely. Rakesh pretends to phone a colleague in front of Rhona and she realises Adam's intentions. Rhona talks to Adam and then Adam and Vanessa talk and he decides not to pursue custody although it gives Vanessa a wake up call and she visits Johnny and gives him a handkerchief that he own mother gave when she was younger and which smells like her.

In November 2015, Johnny was big enough for Vanessa to attempt breastfeeding her son, although it didn't go well. On Christmas Eve Johnny was allowed to come home and he moved into Tug Ghyll with Vanessa and her housemates Carly Hope and Leyla Harding. A week after returning home, Vanessa spotted a bruise-like spot on Johnny's back. The midwife reassured Vanessa that Johnny had a Mongolian Blue Spot and  it's harmless, but she raised Vanessa' suspicions when she mentioned that it's common in mixed raced babies.

Additional Information

 * As Johnny was born so prematurely, he was too small for a real baby to play him so he was played by a lifelike jelly doll. A unknown child actor then took over in November 2015.