Rak-Su star Myles Stephenson reveals his son is living with a disability after suffering a stroke at birth
RAK-SU star Myles Stephenson has revealed that his son is living with a disability after suffering a stroke at birth.
The singer, 31, discussed his son Shiloh’s health and explained what happened to his legion of social media fans.
Sharing a number of photos and videos of his brave boy, who he shares with his girlfriend, he penned: “Stroke awareness.
“The hardest part about being parents is the things that are out of your control. When Shiloh was around 6 months old we noticed he wasn’t using his right hand & it was constantly in a fist.
“As first time parents we didn’t think much of it especially because at his developmental checks we mentioned him seeming very left handed & this didn’t seem of concern.”
Myles continued: “He was pulling himself up to stand at about 12 months & it took him a further 6 months to take his first steps. When he started walking, we noticed he was dragging his right foot & family members recommended getting a GP appointment to make sure everything was okay.”
It was after this that they discovered Shiloh had damage on the left side of his brain, which had effected his right sided limbs.
He shared: “What unfolded we was not prepared for. We was told Shiloh had a stroke sometime before, during or shortly after birth. Hearing the words hemiplegic cerebral palsy brought on a rush of anger, confusion & sadness.
“It wasn’t being told that your son won’t be the next Messi or Ronaldo that hurt. It was the thought that doing his laces, spinning spaghetti on a spoon or playing certain games with friends might be a challenge for him. The small things.
“But… ShiShi doesn’t know any different, he figures out how to do things in his own way and although the brain damage can’t be reversed we are doing everything possible to help strengthen the right side of his body!”
In the photos, Myles could be seen with a mask on standing next to his adorable tot, who sat up in a hospital bed.
In various clips, Myles’ son could be seen playing and even shopping as he pushed a mini shopping trolley around a supermarket.
He also got involved making some music, and ate crisps during a train journey.
Continuing to discuss his son’s health, Myles shared: “Shiloh has made so much progress & we are so proud of him taking on challenges he doesn’t even know are there! Day by day we learn more & this is still very new but we are doing what we can.
“We share this in the hope that it will raise awareness for any other first time parents who notice something a little different in their baby as the sooner you can find out the better it will be in the long run.”
Fans praised Myles for his honest post, with one writing: “What a brave little boy he is. Sending love to you all.”
Another added: “Thank you for sharing this. CP is always on my mind to watch out for in our little girl as she was 3 months premature so is a very high risk. I’m always looking out for how she walks etc. Shiloh is gorgeous and you’re amazing for bringing awareness to this condition!”
Someone else wrote: “Well done on spreading awareness on this!”