Emmerdale stars Laura Norton and Mark Jordon have revealed their two children have been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition.
The soap stars are the proud parents of two children named Jesse and Ronnie. Mark is renowned for his role as Daz Spencer in the show and revealed how both children have been diagnosed with Usher syndrome, a condition that impacts both hearing and vision.
He told Hello! Magazine: "We've agonised about doing this before we've even told our children about their condition... we're going to write them a letter to explain why we did this and show then when they're old enough to understand."
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Usher syndrome is genetic and the two soap star parents were told they were both carriers of the gene which causes the condition. Laura, known for her role as Kerry Wyatt, opened up on her devastation as she said: "My intuition told me there was a serious problem and I was in tears at the thought of it. Knowing that we'd passed this on to our son was heartbreaking." She added: "To watch our little boy enjoy the world around him yet know so much will be taken from him, was painful."
Jesse now wears a hearing aid and the couple are looking to raise awareness and help other parents with children who have been diagnosed with the condition. Mark will be lobbying MPs in Parliament this week about raising awareness of Usher syndrome and campaign for funding.
The NHS defines Usher syndrome as a "a genetic condition that affects hearing, vision and balance". Sense is a charity that supports children who are deaf and have listed some of the symptoms associated with the condition.
Symptoms of Usher syndrome
Hearing loss
Sight loss
Balance problems
Cataracts
Leakage of blood vessels in the retina causes swelling of the macula
Usher syndrome is diagnosed through a variety of measures including hearing tests, sight tests, balance tests and genetic testing. You can find out more information on Sense's official website here
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