Katie Price And Son Harvey To Appear In New BBC Documentary About Realities Of Parenting A Child With A Disability
Katie Price has announced that she and her 18-year-old son Harvey are set to appear in a new BBC documentary.
The one-off special will follow a day in the life of the reality star and her eldest child, who has Prader-Willi syndrome and autism.
According to the BBC, Katie Price: Harvey & Me will focus on “what it’s really like to be a mum of a disabled child approaching adulthood”, as Harvey moves “from child to adult services”.
The documentary will also see Katie making “difficult decisions” which will impact her son’s future long-term.
Katie said: “Being a parent of a child with complex needs, as Harvey has, presents daily challenges. Simple day-to-day things that other people take for granted can take all day.
“Every day presents a new challenge, no two days are the same. We have learnt and grown together, and together we have built our private world, a bond between mother and son which goes deeper than most – we are unbreakable.”
She continued: “Harvey has taken on every hurdle life has thrown at him – from birth, being told he would never see, to now drawing rainbows – he was told he would never be able to engage in everyday life, but is often the life and soul of the party.
“Harvey touches the hearts of all those he meets – his heart knows no bounds when giving out love and affection.
“Now he is 18, I have to start making vital decisions that will impact Harvey’s future that are different to most other parents.”
“Harvey is now an adult, and this is the most important time of his life, making the vital decisions, safeguarding his future and ensuring he has the tools for life that will give him the equal rights to live his life to the fullest,” she added.
“For the first time I will be taking you behind the closed doors of mine and Harvey’s world – experience a day in the life and what the future will look like for him and me, this is how we roll in Katie Price: Harvey & Me.”
The BBC said the documentary is part of its commitment to boosting disability representation on and off screen.
Content director Charlotte Moore said: “I would like to thank Katie Price for opening up in this important and very personal film. Katie’s life has played out in public, but one thing she has always kept private is the day-to-day realities of being mum to her son Harvey.
“As he turns 18, Katie faces difficult decisions about his future and wants to help people understand the realities and challenges of bringing up a child with a disability, and to see what Harvey’s life is really like.”
Last year, Katie revealed that she was moving Harvey into residential care, but admitted it had not been an easy decision for her.
“I don’t want him to go, but the doctors, my mum, everyone is saying it’s the best thing for him,” she explained at the time.
“I suppose I’m the selfish one because I just want him with me all the time. I have to think about it, I haven’t really got an option really, he has to go, I haven’t got an option.”
She later gave fans an update, saying that the teenager was “loving it” in residential care, and still spent weekends at home with her and his siblings.