Former Love Island star Camilla Thurlow has revealed that her two-year-old daughter, Nora, has been diagnosed with autism. Camilla, 35, and husband Jamie Jewitt, who she met on Love Island in 2017, share three children – daughters Nell, four, Nora, and nine-month-old son, Brodie. Taking to social media to speak about her daughter’s ‘strength’, Camilla shared in a heartfelt Instagram post on Sunday: “Nora, our little darling. I often wonder what life must be like for you, having to get up and do things that you find hard every day. And not just that, but things that everyone else around you seems to find so easy.
Camilla shared a heartfelt post about her daughter Nora, two
(Image: Instagram)
“For every milestone we are yet to reach, or the ones that may not be for us at all, you just keep going, with a smile on your face and so, so much love in your heart. To determinedly keep doing things that are difficult with grace and good humour is something that many of the rest of us have spent a lifetime trying to master. “Yet, that strength is already within you, and you go and get it every single day. So of course we will be excited for you in the milestone moments, but we are proud of you always. “Last month you received your autism diagnosis and we know there are some very real challenges ahead for you, and that we will need to grow as parents to make sure we give you what we hope to give all our children; the tools to navigate spaces that are difficult for you, the empowerment to set boundaries that serve you and above all a happy life with every opportunity to be yourself.
Camilla has previously opened up on her daughter’s developmental milestones and journey
(Image: Instagram)
“We see you, always trying to find the sunshine no matter what life brings, and we will be with you every step of the way to make sure it always finds a way through. We are so grateful to be your parents and for the love you and your siblings share, and for everyone who has supported and continues to support Nora and our family.” Taking to her Instagram stories, Camilla expressed her thanks for the supportive messages she has received on her post. She wrote: “So grateful for all your kind and supportive comments and messages after this post. Thank you, we appreciate you all.” In February last year, Camilla had spoken publicly about her middle child’s slower developmental progress with talking and walking and marked Nora’s milestones on Instagram. Candidly sharing that her daughter had started crawling at 20 months and was not yet walking or talking, Camilla talked about “having a second child on a very different timeframe” than her firstborn, Nell. In another post, Camilla had spoken about feeling “self-doubt and worry” as a parent with a baby who’s “on their own timeline”, writing: “Last week was a big one for our Nora, crawling for the very first time at 20 months old.
Camilla and husband Jamie Jewitt share three children – daughters Nell, four, Nora, and nine-month-old son, Brodie
(Image: Instagram)
“This has been a long journey for her, but she has the sweetest temperament and the loveliest way of dealing with any challenges that come her way – she is always so happy to see other children running around her and playing, and somehow so content with whatever toy is within her reach.” Camilla further added: “I think I won’t be alone in saying that being the parent of a baby on their own timeline can sometimes come with self-doubt and worry. There have been many times when I’ve wondered if I might be doing things wrong, or been concerned about my ability to help Nora in the right way for her.” The star had also expressed her gratitude and thanked the NHS Health Visitors who “visited and supported” her family and ensured that “Nora has been referred on to all the people she needs to see.” Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by challenges in social communication and interaction, including difficulty understanding social cues and emotions.
