This Morning’s Cat Deeley was criticised by a disability advocate after her choice of words when talking about Jesy Nelson’s twins, who have been diagnosed with SMA, were deemed inappropriate
Disability advocate Sophie Morgan has criticised Cat Deeley over her “inappropriate” choice of words when discussing Jesy Nelson’s twins. The former Little Mix star recently revealed that her twin daughters have been diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1.
During Thursday’s (8 December) episode of This Morning, Cat said that “disabled children can live normal lives” if a screening for SMA at birth were put into place, as Jesy is calling for. In response, Sophie, who was paralysed following a car crash, reshared a post from disabled Guardian writer Frances Ryan, which read: “I’m sure @catdeeley means nothing but kindness here but worth noting the kids ‘could have lived normal lives’ is not an appropriate phrase.
“Disabled children CAN have careers, marriages, mates. But they will face structural barriers to get them, as well as (sometimes) physical pain and suffering.”
READ MORE: ‘I know Jesy Nelson’s pain — because my child was born with spinal muscular atrophy’READ MORE: Jesy Nelson insider shares ‘the best thing’ for star amid twins’ diagnosis
It continued: “This is one reason why having disabled journalists in the media is crucial. There are four non-disabled people here discussing how disability affects lives (one of whom has spent years arguing to cut disability benefits). Many people like Cat will mean well but you need people in the room who can bring nuance and knowledge that only comes with lived experience.”
Sophie added over the top: “Spot on @frances.ryan85. We also need disabled people BEHIND the camera to make sure these on camera discussions are nuanced. It takes a team.”
Jesy had gone on This Morning that day to talk about her daughters’ diagnosis. She shared via Instagram that her aim was to draw attention to the lack of testing for SMA at birth, a practice which is done in over 40 other countries. Jesy argued that because early diagnosis and treatment is so crucial to survival, the test should be standard practice in the UK.
Cat later added: “I was looking into it yesterday before we spoke to Jesy and it’s available in 43 countries around the world. It’s been available in the Unites States since 2023.”
Jesy pointed out that the test costs only 36p to do and Cat said it therefore seemed “ridiculous” not to do it. Jesy’s honest discussions about SMA were praised by the parents of other affected children.
In one post that was reshared by Jesy, one of her followers, Katie Hughes, said learning that the test which could have revealed her son’s diagnosis much earlier only cost 36p, was “devastating and shocking”.
She added: “36p to change the course of a child’s life, it’s nothing really, is it? I was in tears when I watched that. I felt sick because 36p could have massively changed our little boy’s life.”
SMA is a condition that causes progressive muscle weakness due to motor neuron loss and can mean children diagnosed with it will never learn to walk and or even be able to support their own head. Jesy said on This Morning that her girls are “probably never going to be able to walk or regain their neck strength so they will be disabled”.
Source: Mirror
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