TOWIE star reveals young nephew’s diagnosis of genetic disorder Tay-Sachs
Courtney Green calls for more awareness of disease on popular reality show The Only Way is Essex
Reality TV star Courtney Green has shared her family’s pain after her young nephew Marley Hakimi was diagnosed with genetic disorder Tay-Sachs.
Speaking to fellow castmates on Sunday night’s episode of The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE), the ITV star called on people to support charities that had helped her family since Marley’s was diagnosed Tay-Sachs, a rare but severe neurological genetic disorder associated with the loss of brain functioning in infancy. The recessive Tay-Sachs gene is estimated to be carried by 1 in 25 Ashkenazi Jews.
“We recently got the heartbreaking news that my beautiful nephew Marley has a fatal rare genetic disorder called Tay-Sachs,” said the former King Solomon High School student in the emotional broadcast.
Green, 29, added: “There is still no cure for this, but each day as a family, we hope and pray for a miracle because Marley deserves the best life that we can give him. This is why giving to these charities is so so important, as it will give the resources to help find a cure so that no one will have to go through what my family is going through.”
Other stars on the show wiped their eyes and embraced Green as she called for more awareness of the disease.
In the episode, Green goes onto the share the news with original TOWIE cast-member Lauren Goodger, whose newborn daughter Lorena tragically died in 2022 after the umbilical cord was knotted around her neck. “Nothing prepares you for a loss,” says Goodger in the episode. “Nothing. And no mother should ever experience that.”
In a social media post, Green thanked Jewish charity Camp Simcha UK, as well as research organisation CATS Foundation and Haven House, which has been providing Marley with physiotherapy and music therapy. She also called on people to contact Jnetics UK for genetic testing.
In a statement, Nicole Gordon, chief executive of Jnetics which helps prevent and diagnose Jewish genetic disorders in the UK, said: “As an organisation dedicated to the education, management and, above all, prevention of genetic disorders that have a higher incidence in the Jewish community, we were devastated to hear of the recent Tay-Sachs diagnosis of Marley Hakimi.”
She went onto encourage those looking to start a family to “sign up for screening”, adding: “Nobody should have to go through what the Hakimi family are going through ever again”.
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