Jessica Wright flooded with support as she reveals two-year-old son Presley's heart condition diagnosis
Jessica Wright took to social media with the heartbreaking news that her two-year-old son, Presley, has been diagnosed with an ultra-rare heart condition.
Taking to her Instagram account, the mother-of-one penned a lengthy statement on Bank Holiday Monday, explaining that her son has been diagnosed with a congenital heart disease called "bicuspid aortic valve", which will require him to undergo open-heart surgery at least twice in his life.
"Hey everyone [white love heart emoji], I have been apprehensive & nervous about writing this post because I knew that once I shared it, it would become even more real. But ultimately, I couldn’t hide from the reality anymore, and I would love to also raise awareness," she began.
The former TOWIE star explained: "A few months ago, we learned that our son Presley has a congenital heart disease called bicuspid aortic valve, something he was born with that affects only a small 1% of us. Essentially, instead of having three leaflets in his aortic valve like most people, he only has two.
"This condition affects how blood flows from the heart to the rest of the body and will require monitoring and care over time. I won’t go into full details right now, but while this is, please God, not a fatal disease, we are coming to terms with the fact that our son will need intervention at least twice in his life. By intervention, I mean open-heart surgery."
Jess added that admitting it out loud "physically hurts" her soul and explained that Presley will be closely monitored by doctors every eight to twelve weeks.
Before thanking her friends and family, as well as the Brompton Fountain children's charity, she said: "Ultimately, he will have intervention when necessary, but the older he can be for that, the better. We know that Presley is strong and resilient. With the help of modern-day medicine, Presley will live as normal a life as the next child, we hope and pray."
She concluded: "I also know that this platform will help me share and get information, express my feelings, find answers to questions, and provide much-needed support and knowledge to others in need. I would love to hear from any other parents who are navigating this unknown and very scary territory, as knowledge is power and it is a comfort to know that we are not alone."
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The words were shared alongside a beautiful black-and-white photo of Jess kissing her son on the cheek while her husband, William Lee-Kemp, held him.
Jess was flooded with support from friends and family after announcing the news, with many of her former TOWIE cast members sharing heartfelt messages. Her sister-in-law, Michelle Keegan, replied with a simple love heart emoji.
