Disa O'Brien
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| EastEnders character | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disa O'Brien | ||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Jan Graveson | |||||||||
| Duration | 1990–1991 | |||||||||
| First appearance | 27 March 1990 | |||||||||
| Last appearance | 28 February 1991 | |||||||||
| Profile | ||||||||||
| Status | Single | |||||||||
| Home | Sunderland | |||||||||
| Occupation | Unemployed | |||||||||
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Disa O'Brien was a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She was played by Jan Graveson.
Disa was a tough seeming Wearside runaway, who helped Diane Butcher to survive when she lived rough on the streets.
[edit] History
Disa was first seen in March 1990. Diane Butcher had run away from home and was fending for herself living on the streets of London, where she befriended Disa, a fellow teenage runaway. Disa was working as a prostitute and tried to convince Diane to follow the same path with the hope that they could raise the funds to share a flat together. Diane couldn't bring herself to do this however, but took up nude modeling for an artist instead. Eventually Diane's father Frank tracked her down and brought her back to Walford, whilst a bedraggled Disa remained living on the streets, begging and selling sex.
Disa had fallen pregnant in 1990, and she was still living rough in London just before the birth of her child. Knowing this, Diane spent days searching the streets of London for Disa, hoping to provide her and her soon to be born baby with accommodation. After a series of leads resulted in nothing, Diane was about to give up hope when her friend Mark Fowler spotted Disa arguing with an unknown man about her baby. However when Mark made his presence known she and the man scarpered, and Disa disappeared. The following day, on Christmas Eve, Diane was approached by a homeless man who agreed to bring Disa to her in exchange for money. Diane finally got a chance to speak to her friend, but Disa refused to take her help and told her that she hoped she and her baby froze to death. She ordered Diane to stay out of her life and left. On Christmas day Disa went into labour, alone in a derelict building near Walford, and gave birth to a little girl. Disa knew that a life living rough on the streets was no place for a new born baby, so that same day she decided to leave her baby in a cardboard box on the Butcher's doorstep, with the hope that Diane would take her in.
Diane and her boyfriend Mark once again searched the streets of London and eventually found Disa. They managed to bring her back to Albert Square (under protest) to live in Mo Butcher's empty flat, in the hope that she would become attached to the child, who was originally called Billie, but was later renamed Jasmine.
It was a rough ride for Disa, as she was severely lacking parenting skills. She also found it difficult to bond with her baby initially, but with the help of Diane and Mark she began to settle into life in the Square, and she soon grew to love her baby. Dot Cotton, who often attracted waifs and strays, looked after the child when Disa wouldn't or couldn't. On one occasion, she unwittingly let a stranger called Ken Raynor into the flat, who claimed to be Disa's uncle. However, Ken was actually Disa's stepfather, and he was also the father of baby Jasmine. Whilst Disa was living with him and her mother, she had been the victim of his sexual abuse and rape, which had left her pregnant and driven her onto the streets. In an attempt to get Disa back within his power, Ken kidnapped Jasmine, leaving Disa frantic with worry. With the help of the police, Dot managed to trap him. Ken was arrested and imprisoned, and the baby was returned to Disa unharmed.
Despite suspicion from the DSS, Disa refused to admit to the sexual abuse she had been subjected to, even when she was told that Ken would be imprisoned for a long time if she did. However, she did confide in Kathy Beale through the Samaritans. Kathy helped Disa to find the courage to tell her mother, Sandra, that Ken had forced both her and her younger sister to have sex with him, and that he was the father of her child. Sandra refused to believe her daughter's horrific tale at first. She hit Disa and accused her of lying, before breaking down and accepting the truth. Sandra made Disa visit Ken in prison so she could see his response to her accusations. While there, a repulsed Disa confronted Ken about the sexual abuse she had endured since the age of 12. Disgusted, Sandra informed Ken that she and her children would be testifying to this in court, to ensure that he was locked away for a very long time. Sandra then took Disa and Jasmine back up north to live with her. Disa's last appearance was in February 1991.
