Raising a Disabled Son: Standing Up For Harvey

When supermodel and British television personality Katie Price was faced with the reality of raising a disabled son, she struck out on a mission to ensure he will have as normal a life as possible. Her son, Harvey, suffers from a condition called septo-optic dysplasia, a rare disorder characterized by abnormal development of the optic disk and pituitary deficiencies. Harvey has restricted sight, life-threatening hormone deficiencies, learning difficulties and autism.

To help other families cope with the prejudice surrounding disability, she is putting her TV skills to good use by making a film called Katie Price: Standing Up For Harvey.  She hopes the documentary will be insightful and help show the world the realities faced by families with disabilities.

“Harvey is a wonderful boy,” Price said, “ I am so proud of how he deals every day with his disability. He has been my one constant over the past eight years and, alongside Junior and Princess, remains the most important person in my life. But of course Harvey doesn’t have the voice to defend himself, so through this documentary I hope to encourage other people to appreciate the difficulties that children with disability and their parents face every day. I am lucky to be able to make this film and hope it helps those who struggle to cope with disability and prejudice without the support network I have.”

In the film, she shares an honest view of the challenges of raising a child with disabilities, focusing on discrimination. She even discusses her reaction to a slur made by British comedian Frankie Boyle and challenges the trend toward using disability as a topic of comic capital.

The film shares an insightful story that any parent with a disabled child can relate to.

What challenges have you faced while standing up for your children?