Erin McGregor has opened up the “grief” and panic attacks she felt when her son Harry was diagnosed with sensory issues.
The DWTS alumni spoke about her four-year-old’s condition for the first time on TV with Ireland AM’s Muireann O’Connell and Tommy Bowe.
She said: “I think for me, I’ve only started coming out of the pure grief and maybe shock of everything. I’m only starting to come to terms with everything, the sensory issues and all the other issues, so I’m starting to kind of openly talk about things.”
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“I’ve never actually said what it was, out loud, for the word that it is, but I have started opening a little bit more onto Instagram just because it was a very lonely time,” Erin explained.
“It was a very lonely, dark time when you’re stuck in grief and you don’t really know what’s happening around you.”
“Things are a little bit different in my family life and that’s why I started opening up. You don’t have to be afraid to talk about things that are hurting. For me, there was always an element I didn’t know what was happening, all those feelings were coming up, it was other people that were saying ‘what’s happening to you is grief.'”
“Panic attacks were happening quite a lot,” she admitted. “I think it can be grief for a life you thought you might have and then you don’t have. It can be across the board.”
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Erin also revealed the 2020 3Olympia Theatre pantomime moving online was “much better” for her family as Harry could watch from a space he felt “safe”.
She said: “Last year it was online and it was actually much better for me. I don’t think I’ve actually said if on TV before but Harry would have a lot of sensory issues so the first two years that Harry came to see me, he wasn’t really able to cope in the theatre, Terry kept having to go outside so it was a little bit difficult for us.”
“It was a very special panto for me last year online because I got to be there in the comfort of my brother’s home and I got to watch it with the kids and Harry was nice and safe and calm and he loved it. He loved it.”
