‘There is a very short life expectancy’: Gary Ablett Jr’s wife Jordan reveals the devastating diagnosis given to their two-year-old son Levi and admits they’re ‘literally taking it day by day’
Jordan Ablett has spoken out about the rare degenerative illness her two-year-old son Levi suffers from.
In an interview with podcast The Significant Others on Tuesday, the wife of former Australian rules footballer Gary Ablett Jr. revealed the illness carries a short life expectancy.
‘I just remember sitting with Gaz in that meeting and when they said it I just remember absolutely breaking down,’ she recounted.
Heartbreaking: Jordan Ablett has spoken out about the rare degenerative illness her two-year-old son Levi suffers from. Pictured with husband Gary Ablett Jr.
Jordan said it took a long time for Levi to be diagnosed with the unspecified disease, and detailed the devastation she and Gary, 36, felt after learning it’s ‘life threatening’.
‘There is a very short life expectancy which is why I constantly say to people when they ask about Levi that we are literally just taking it day by day because we have no idea what the future holds,’ she continued.
After seeing a series of paediatricians, Jordan said it was the Geelong Football Club’s team doctor who finally put them in contact with the right person.
Devastated: In an interview with podcast The Significant Others on Tuesday, the wife of former Australian rules footballer Gary Ablett Jr. revealed the illness carries a short life expectancy
She said this new paediatrician ‘got the ball rolling’, and after months of concerns, the couple, who married in 2016, finally had some answers.
Jordan said she and Gary first became concerned after noticing Levi wasn’t reaching the same milestones as other children his age.
They decided to go public with the little boy’s condition because they didn’t want to have to lie when people asked about their son.
‘I just remember sitting with Gaz in that meeting and when they said it I just remember absolutely breaking down,’ she recounted
‘People would just say things like, “Levi must be running around now.” Comments like that are so fine to receive, but when you are on the receiving end and you know everything that is going on it’s awkward,’ she confessed.
‘We don’t want to lie and be like, “Yeah, he’s running around,” because he wasn’t running around.’
In addition to Levi’s health problems, Jordan’s mum was also unwell with terminal cancer, and the couple realised they needed extra support.
Tragic: Jordan said it took a long time for Levi to be diagnosed with the unspecified disease, and detailed the devastation she and Gary, 36, felt after learning it’s ‘life threatening’
She said they also felt that by hiding Levi’s condition, they were sending their little boy the message that he needed to hide who he is.
Jordan said Levi’s condition has only made the family more aware of how precious every moment they have together is.
‘In terms of this year, we are just going to invest in Levi and invest in our family and enjoy the time we get to spend together,’ she added.
‘In terms of this year, we are just going to invest in Levi and invest in our family and enjoy the time we get to spend together,’ she said