Camilla Thurlow shares sweet tribute to her non-verbal daughter Nora on her 3rd birthday and says 'love needs no words' after sharing her autism diagnosis
The former Love Island star, 35, shares three children - daughters Nell, five, and Nora, and a son Brodie, one - with her husband Jamie Jewitt.
She has spoken openly about their middle child Nora's slower development with walking and talking and recently revealed that she is autistic.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by difficulties with social communication and interactions, including understanding social cues and emotions.
Marking her 3rd birthday, Camilla shared an array of adorable photographs of herself and Jamie posing alongside Nora as she gushed over the 'gentle soul'.
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The former Love Island star, 35, who shares three children with her husband Jamie Jewitt, has openly spoken about their middle child Nora's slower development with walking and talking and recently revealed that she is autistic
In one photograph, the trio all sported T-shirts which read 'Love Needs No Words', with Camilla discussing how Nora is non-verbal in an accompanying caption.
She penned: 'On the eve of Nora's 3rd birthday, there is so much to say, and here she is doing it on her own terms, because while she may not speak I hope you can hear exactly what she is saying here.
'That you understand her the way we do, through those eyes that tell every part of the story of the gentlest soul and the strongest heart (love heart emoji).
'Thank you for meeting her here with understanding, encouragement and most of all, joy (smiley face emoji). For her love, our love, needs no words at all - it just needs us.'
In March, Camilla announced that Nora had been diagnosed with autism in a heartfelt Instagram post.
She praised her daughter for her 'strength' and gushed that she and Jamie are 'so grateful' to be her parents as she thanked her loved ones for their support.
She penned: 'Nora, our little darling. I often wonder what life must be like for you, having to get up and do things that you find hard every day. And not just that, but things that everyone else around you seems to find so easy.
'For every milestone we are yet to reach, or the ones that may not be for us at all, you just keep going, with a smile on your face and so, so much love in your heart.
'To determinedly keep doing things that are difficult with grace and good humour is something that many of the rest of us have spent a lifetime trying to master.
'Yet, that strength is already within you, and you go and get it every single day. So of course we will be excited for you in the milestone moments, but we are proud of you always.
'Last month you received your autism diagnosis and we know there are some very real challenges ahead for you, and that we will need to grow as parents to make sure we give you what we hope to give all our children; the tools to navigate spaces that are difficult for you, the empowerment to set boundaries that serve you and above all a happy life with every opportunity to be yourself.
'We see you, always trying to find the sunshine no matter what life brings, and we will be with you every step of the way to make sure it always finds a way through.
'We are so grateful to be your parents and for the love you and your siblings share, and for everyone who has supported and continues to support Nora and our family.'
Camilla had previously opened up about Nora's slower development with walking and talking, taking to Instagram to mark her various milestones.
In February last year, Camilla revealed Nora had started crawling as she candidly shared her 'self-doubt and worry' over her daughter's timeline.
In her post, Camilla thanked NHS health visitors for their support with her development on the 'long journey' and told how Nora was having physiotherapy.
The NHS website states that babies usually start crawling at around seven to 10 months and by 18 months most babies can walk.
She penned in her post: 'Last week was a big one for our Nora, crawling for the very first time at 20 months old.
'This has been a long journey for her, but she has the sweetest temperament and the loveliest way of dealing with any challenges that come her way - she is always so happy to see other children running around her and playing, and somehow so content with whatever toy is within her reach.
'In fact, the only time she ever really gets frustrated is when she wants to get to us for a cuddle. Seeing all her months of hard work pay off and how proud she is of herself is just the best!
'I think I won't be alone in saying that being the parent of a baby on their own timeline can sometimes come with self-doubt and worry.
'There have been many times when I've wondered if I might be doing things wrong, or been concerned about my ability to help Nora in the right way for her.
'I am so grateful to the NHS Health Visitors who have visited and supported us, and ensured Nora has been referred on to all the people she needs to see, and to Nora's lovely nursery for helping support us with her physio on the days she is in.
'And of course thank you to big sister Nell, who is Nora's biggest cheerleader, loves to help encourage her and has shown so much patience at the times when we are juggling both their needs.
She signed off her post by saying: 'So proud of you our lovely Nora, the sky may be the limit but all in your own time and with a smile on your face. That's all that matters to us and we'll always be here to help you find your way to wherever you wish to go.'
Camilla and Jamie are one of Love Island's biggest success stories after meeting on the ITV2 dating show and becoming runners-up to Amber Davies and Kem Cetinay.
The couple announced they were expecting their first child together in May 2020, and welcomed daughter Nell into the world that October.
Jamie proposed in February 2021 by putting Nell in an adorable 'Mummy will you marry my daddy?' onesie.
The couple then tied the knot in September 2021 at Gosfield Hall in Essex, with co-star Marcel Somerville in attendance.
The pair announced they were expecting their second child together in December that year and welcomed Nora in May 2022.
Camilla and Jamie then welcomed their third child, son Brodie, into the world on May 8, 2024, with the couple confirming the news on Instagram at the time.
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