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Katie Price says she’s ‘heartbroken’ she couldn’t see her terminally ill mum on ‘last’ Christmas
KATIE Price says she’s "heartbroken" she couldn't see her terminally ill mum Amy on what she fears could be her "last" Christmas.
In an exclusive interview with The Sun, the 42-year-old star admitted her concerns about "how long she has with her".
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Just last week, Katie learned her mother's health was rapidly deteriorating amid the raging covid pandemic, with 64-year-old Amy suffering from a terminal lung condition called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
The condition sees the lungs become scarred and breathing becomes increasingly difficult, with Amy bravely opening up about her diagnosis in 2017 - revealing she could only have two or three years to live.
The devastating news comes as another major blow for Katie.
Speaking to The Sun at Christmas, the star shared: “I’m heartbroken. My mum has deteriorated a lot, she’s having to use oxygen and needs help breathing now, so it’s not good - but she’s still so determined.
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“I thought it was going to be her last Christmas, I feared it, what I mean is it’s probably her last able Christmas where she’ll be able to be herself and have a laugh.
“We were never all going to be together as a family because of the rules, so our plan was to visit my sister Sophie on Christmas Eve and then go to my mum’s today for Christmas dinner.
“We’ve been isolating since we got back from Turkey and had done a covid test - she’d bought a boatload of food and a turkey and now it’s all gone to waste.
“I feel sorry for everyone this Christmas, especially those who saved up their tokens, bought hampers and big fat turkeys - all those turkeys slaughtered for nothing!"
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The mother-of-five added: “But as much as I really want to see her, I don’t want to put mum at risk.
“It’s a cruel disease - nobody knows what’s going to happen, but unless she has a lung transplant, which will be a miracle, next year she’ll be even weaker and it’ll be harder for her to breathe and who knows if she’ll even know what’s happening.
“It’s disappointing because I have all five of my kids this year and I would have loved to take them to mum to open their presents while she’s still got the energy.
“She’s with my sister Sophie now who was at her house when the tier 4 announcement was made.
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“I’ve got Zoom and we put it on and all opened our Christmas presents together. Thank God for technology!
“Mum’s been petrified and it’s horrible - she wants to see us in real life but she knows if she gets Covid then that’s it for her.
“It’s even more terrifying now there’s this new mutant strain - we’re all going to have to do covid tests every time we see her - so it’ll cost about £1,000 for everyone but it’s worth it to see my mum, what else can I do? I need to keep her safe and shielded - it’s the same situation for Harvey.
“Harvey is just as vulnerable as my mum - I don’t know who’s worse off.”
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Despite her heartache, Katie still enjoyed a fun Christmas with her children; 18-year-old Harvey, 15-year-old Junior, 13-year-old Princess, seven-year-old Jett, and six-year-old Bunny.
It was her first Christmas with boyfriend Carl Woods, and the star also told us she hopes to start the New Year with a baby and engagement.
She gushed: "It’s all happened really fast but I know Carl is the man for me. He’s The One and I couldn’t be happier — look at me!
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What is Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)?
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a condition in which the lungs become scarred and breathing becomes increasingly difficult.
It's not clear what causes it, but it usually affects people who are around 70 to 75 years old, and is rare in people under 50.
Several treatments can help reduce the rate at which IPF gets worse, but there's currently no treatment that can stop or reverse the scarring of the lungs.
The symptoms of IPF tend to develop gradually and get slowly worse over time.
Symptoms include shortness of breath, a persistent dry cough, tiredness, loss of appetite and weight loss, rounded and swollen fingertips.
(Source: www.NHS.uk)
Katie Price says mum’s health has got worse ahead of Christmas
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"It would be amazing to enter the New Year with a baby on the way and a ring on my finger. We’ve been trying — I’ll find out if I’m pregnant on the 29th because that’s when my period is due."
The pair have been together since June, and Carl is determined to keep her on the straight and narrow.
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