MOTHER'S AGONY
Carol Vorderman’s heartbreak over feeling powerless to help with son’s learning disability struggle
MATHS whizz Carol Vorderman has told of her heartbreak over feeling powerless to help her struggling son when he was growing up.
The former Countdown presenter's son Cameron, 24, has severe forms of ADD, dyslexia and ADHD.
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Yet despite his severe learning disabilities, mum Carol has proudly revealed he has just achieved a master’s degree at university.
That's why she's backing The Sun’s Give It Back campaign to close the £434million shortfall in funding for children with physical and learning disabilities.
Appearing on This Morning today, Carol delivered an emotional message to worried parents.
She said: "One thing I would like to say to parents, because I know there are a lot of parents watching and listening out there, is that it's a long road... breathe.
"You wake up as a parent every day and this little bundle of your heart, your world is there and they are unhappy.
"And there is nothing you can do.
"I couldn't give up telly and teach him.. not because I wouldn't give up telly, but because I couldn't teach him."
Host Holly Willoughby added to Cameron, who joined his mum on the This Morning sofa: "That's because you had a specific way of learning.
"It may not have been the standard way but you had to find your own key in a way to unlock it."
Writing for The Sun today, Carol told how proud she is of her son whose "brain works differently".
She said: "My daughter, Katie, now 29, was incredibly academic and flew through school.
"I felt Cameron was bright too but his ability to focus was non-existent. His speech developed later than other children his age.
"When he was young he had immense trouble even recognising a letter, let alone reading — forget that. Even at nursery my sweet, wonderful little boy was removed from class for being disruptive.
"When he was five the headteacher said Cam was so disruptive he had to move schools. I dragged him round loads of other schools but they all said he was unteachable. Imagine that.
"There is no room or understanding for children who have these beautiful minds because they think differently.
"Every time Cameron has to read a word it’s difficult. Expand that out to the whole of a young person’s life and it becomes almost impossible to thrive without the right help.
"For most schools it’s too much for them to work with the child — they are not equipped. If you don’t fit into the system teachers try their best or move the child out of the class or down a set."
Parents of children with severe learning disabilities face waiting years for an assessment of their child’s needs, something that is necessary before building an essential support framework around them.
Carol added: "It is on behalf of these families that I support The Sun’s Give It Back campaign to close the £434million shortfall in funding for children with physical and learning disabilities.
"I urge Chancellor Rishi Sunak to act on this in his autumn Budget. Invest in early support for these children and save yourself the cost of young people not achieving their potential and families breaking down in the future.
"To the Government it is not a huge amount of money but to our families it is everything.
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"I was lucky enough to pay for a special school place for him. I’ve had hundreds of parents contact me who are in exactly the situation we were — with kids who are thrown on the scrapheap — but who cannot afford that.
My message to parents of disabled children would be to breathe through the anxiety. Help is needed now more than ever
"We are asking YOU to sign an open letter written by parent Maureen Muteesa to urge the Government to fund Covid recovery policies for disabled children.
"To Sun readers, I ask you to take five minutes to understand how hard it is for these children and sign the letter to Rishi Sunak to make change.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"And please, Chancellor, act to give these vulnerable children a quality of life and a future."
- Add your support by visiting: - by 3pm today
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