Watch the heartbreaking moment sobbing Towie’s Courtney reveals baby nephew’s ‘fatal’ diagnosis
TOWIE star Courtney Green has revealed that her baby nephew has been diagnosed with a life limiting disease.
The reality star has told how her nephew has a rare neurodegenerative disorder known as Tay Sachs disease, which causes the death of nerve cells resulting in complex neurological problems.
While there is currently no cure, the condition is usually fatal by 3 to 5 years of years, often resulting from complications of a lung infection.
In a heartbreaking announcement in front of the cast members of ITVBE’S TOWIE, a tearful Courtney shared the news that has blighted her family.
She said: “We recently got the heartbreaking news that our beautiful nephew Marley has a rare genetic disorder called Tay Sachs.
It’s a genetic disorder that stops the nerves working, it affects the brain and spinal cord and eventually could become fatal. There is still no cure for this but each day as a family we hope and pray for a miracle because Marley deserves the best life we can give him.”
Courtney then urged her friends on to give generously. She said: “This is why its so important to donate to these charities, as it will give the resources to find a cure, so that no has to go through what my family are going through.”
After her announcement, the 27-year-old was comforted by her friends including Chloe Meadows who gave her a hug.
It has not been an easy year for the influencer and reality TV star. Earlier this year in April she split from her boyfriend of five years, Callum Bushby.
The pair first began dating in 2018 and despite splitting 18 months later, they rekindled their romance.
In fact, the couple even moved in together in 2022.
Courtney previously sparked speculation that she and businessman Callum had called it quits when she said they were “taking a step back” from each other.
During the episode she sobbed on camera, saying: “I have never been with someone who has loved me as much as he loves me and he has shown me what it is like to be loved. And I feel s*** that I have let it get this far for him to turn around and not actually want to be with me any more…”
Later in the episode, Courtney told how she was deeply hurt by the split. She tells her mates: “I feel like heartbreak is the worst thing in the world. It actually hurts. I feel like I have cried for five days straight. Like my tear ducts have dried up.”
At the time of Callum and Courtney’s previous break-up five years ago, an insider told The Sun they had clashed over his commitment issues.
The source said: “She wanted him to show commitment and move in together, but he didn’t want to. He’s only young and is still enjoying going out with friends with no strings attached.”
The TOWIE star has kept a relatively low profile on social media since the end of the summer, no doubt she has plenty that she needs the time and space to process.
WHAT IS TAY SACHS DISEASE
Tay-Sachs disease is a rare inherited condition that mainly affects babies and young children. It stops the nerves working properly and is usually fatal.
It used to be most common in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent (most Jewish people in the UK), but many cases now occur in people from other ethnic backgrounds.
Symptoms of infantile Tay-Sachs disease usually start when a child is 3 to 6 months old.
The main symptoms include:
- being overly startled by noises and movement
- being very slow to reach milestones like learning to crawl, and losing skills they have already learnt
- floppiness and weakness, which keeps getting worse until they’re unable to move (paralysis)
- difficulty swallowing
- loss of vision or hearing
- muscle stiffness
- seizures (fits)
The condition is usually fatal by around 3 to 5 years of age, often due to complications of a lung infection (pneumonia).
Rarer types of Tay-Sachs disease start later in childhood (juvenile Tay-Sachs disease) or early adulthood (late-onset Tay-Sachs disease). The late-onset type doesn’t always shorten life expectancy.
Tay-Sachs disease is caused by a problem in a child’s genes that means their nerves stop working properly.
A child can only have it if both parents have this faulty gene. The parents themselves don’t usually have any symptoms – this is known as being a “carrier”.
If 2 people who are carriers have a child, there’s a:
- 1 in 4 (25%) chance the child won’t inherit any faulty genes and won’t have Tay-Sachs disease or be able to pass it on
- 1 in 2 (50%) chance the child inherits a faulty gene from one parent and becomes a carrier, but won’t have the condition themselves
- 1 in 4 (25%) chance the child inherits a faulty gene from both parents and develops Tay-Sachs disease