Chrissy Teigen has opened up about her son’s health after fans spotted medical equipment in a recent Instagram post, revealing he is in the ‘honeymoon period’ of the lifelong illness.
The model and mother-of-four posted a family photo of herself and her little ones online to show their support for Simone Biles at the Paris Olympics.
According to Chrissy, Miles, six, has been diagnosed with a lifelong condition and shared with her fans the reason he needed to be attached to a medical set up.
The 38-year-old explained that they found out his diagnosis after he was initially admitted to hospital for a different condition, but doctors knew something else was going on.
The mum-of-four shared their family news online. (Instagram/@chrissyteigen)
What fans spotted in the photo turned out to be a continuous glucose monitor attached to his upper arm.
Having been flooded with support from fans who wanted to give the mother support through their family’s news, she decided it was time to share that Miles has Type 1 Diabetes in a statement on Instagram.
She said: “A lot of you noticed something a little special about a photo I posted a few days ago — Luna, Miles and I celebrating Simone and team USA.
“Miles had his arm up, and soooo many of you reached out to say the most beautiful and incredible words I have ever witnessed on this platform. You noticed his type-1 diabetes monitor and extended so much love and encouragement in every way possible. I was, and am, so blown away by the kindness of this community, already.”
She shared that ‘things could be so much worse,’ but with the help of a specialist, the family feels blessed.
She explained: “A couple weeks ago, our Miles was sick, in the hospital, with a terrible case of shigella, an intestinal infection caused by bacteria in food or water. A lot of his friends were also sick with it, as they went to the same camp and well, it happens!”
The six-year-old now has to live with a continuous glucose monitor. (Instagram/@chrissyteigen)
“But the doctors knew something else was off about his blood tests. I’ve learned since then that this is how so many young children end up being diagnosed with type-1 — going to the hospital for something completely different.
“After more testing, we learned he is in the ‘honeymoon period’ of a lifetime of T1.
“Last night we gave him his first shot of insulin and here we go! A different, new world for us and we are certainly learning so much on the fly.”
“This post is to thank you so much for your kindness. It helps Miles so much to know so many other people are going through the same thing and he is not alone.”
She went on to say that her husband, singer John Legend, had been relying on a book called Year One with Type One to help Miles through the transition.
What are the symptoms of type one diabetes?
According to the NHS, the illness – which can develop at any age – can present the following symptoms:
- feeling very thirsty
- urinating more frequently than usual, particularly at night
- feeling very tired
- weight loss and loss of muscle bulk
- itchiness around the genital area, or regular bouts of thrush (a yeast infection)
- blurred vision caused by the lens of your eye changing shape