LOVE Island stars Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Jewitt have been slammed after sharing their daughter’s autism diagnosis.
The couple, who rose to fame on the ITV2 show’s 2017 series, posted an emotional update on Instagram today, revealing the challenges their two-year-old daughter Nora has faced.
While their decision to open up about their journey was praised by some for raising awareness, others have criticised them for making such personal information public.
In the heartfelt post, Camilla shared a photo of Nora, who was smiling in a pink puffa jacket, as she walked in the sunshine.
Alongside the image, Camilla wrote a touching message about her daughter’s strength and perseverance in the face of autism, highlighting the hurdles Nora has overcome despite not yet reaching certain developmental milestones.
She penned: “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.
“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.
“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.”
Fans were quick to react on Reddit, with some highlighting that Nora may not be comfortable with her diagnosis being announced publicly as she grows older.
One wrote: “Good for them trying to normalise the conversation about autism, but imagine that girl showing up to high school later knowing every other kid can know deeply personal stuff about her with one Google search.”
Someone else said: “My child is awaiting autism assessment and it’s not particularly something I would share online. Having said that, I do follow lots of other parents with autistic children, as the NHS is so broken and getting the right help for your child is so difficult and complicated.
“I hope they’ll lean towards advocating for the services to be improved more than anything and to further normalise autism.”
A third pointed out: “As someone who discovered their own autism as an adult my initial reaction to them sharing this is not negative. I feel like they will be able to share realistic and compassionate approaches to parenting for their daughter while normalizing differences.
“Obviously other people will have different opinions. As far as it being her personal information out there on the internet… other kids will already know and they will know if they want to bully her about it.
“They will know by knowing her without a need for defining it with language. The information will probably cause more understand than disruption in her life growing up.”
Another asked: “I understand that autism awareness is important but at what point is your child’s privacy more important? The entire internet didn’t need to be told about this. At the very least they could’ve waited a few years so their child could actually consent to this.”
What is autism?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an incurable, lifelong developmental condition that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others.
It affects around one in 100 people in the UK and is three to four times more common in boys than in girls.
Many people with ASD find it hard to understand other people’s feelings and emotions, and they may have difficulty holding conversations.
When they are young, their language development may take longer and they can struggle to use facial expressions, using gestures to communicate instead.
They may also find it hard to connect with other people and to hold eye contact with unfamiliar individuals.
Many children with ASD like to follow a routine, and changes to this can cause distress.
High functioning autism is an informal term some people use to describe those on the autism spectrum disorder.
OPENING UP
Previously, Camilla praised Nora for being “on her own timeframe.”
She tried to reassure fans, urging them to recognise that babies all develop at different paces.
The reality TV star told her social media following of Nora in 2024: “She’s very much on her own timeframe for everything, although I’ve only touched on gross motor development on here before.
“She doesn’t speak – about 8 months ago she said ‘Dada’ for the first time and then overnight she stopped and hasn’t said it since. She has never said ‘Mama’.
“Day to day we are still working on her cutlery and practical skills.”
Thanking her health visitors for their assessments, referrals and support, Camilla continued: “I want Nora to know she can be a baby for as long as she wants or needs to.
“We are very proud of how she is steadfastly moving through the world at her own pace.
“The last thing I want is for her to grow up thinking that life is a race, or that she needs to be the fastest, smartest, funniest or loudest person in the room to be worthy of love.”
