Australian actress Christie Hayes, best known for her role as Kristy Phillips in Home and Away, has revealed her eldest son Hendrix, two, has been diagnosed with autism.
In a beautifully honest and lengthy Instagram post, the mother-of-two explained her reasoning for opening up to the world – she wanted to “celebrate him”.
“I want to share because it will help him, help others and, (maybe selfishly) help me saying it aloud too.”
“I know of course how lucky we are, my son hasn’t been diagnosed with a terminal illness or something that warrants extreme devastation, but being told that your child is different and might have some challenges ahead is not always easy,” she continues.
“You never want your baby to have something you take for granted – such as talking and basic social skills, as a problem.
“My heart sometimes breaks because I’ve been waiting almost 3 years to hear my little boy say ‘mum’, but we’re so lucky to have access to so much support.”
Though he’s yet to speak to his mum and dad, Christie and her husband Daniel White acknowledge the many beautiful qualities their little “ray of sunshine” possesses.
“He shows us lots of love in smiles, cuddles and hand holding (he can’t talk so he drags me wherever he wants to go).
“Hendy is the sweetest boy, knows what he wants, isn’t scared of anything, is brave enough to lead an army and has a smile that could stop a war.”
She finishes her beautiful post with a message to her beloved boy, saying: “you are perfect to Mummy and Daddy – just the way you are!”
Her admission has been met with a wave of positivity from fans and mothers alike who have since taken it upon themselves to share the stories of their own sons and daughters living with the same condition.
We can’t thank Christie enough for sharing her story and continuing such an important conversation.
For more about the ins and outs of motherhood, LISTEN as host Claire Isaac quizzes Rhian Allen, the Founder and CEO of The Healthy Mummy, on ‘How To Be a Mumpreneur’ in the first episode of our ‘How To Be…’ podcast.
