I’m putting Harvey on Ozempic – he weighs 28 stone and is getting bigger, we need to save his life, says Katie Price
EMOTIONAL Katie Price has revealed son Harvey is to start Ozempic-style weight-loss jabs to save his life.
He weighs 28st and has a rare genetic condition which means he is always hungry.
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TV’s Katie, 46, fears he may die without help.
The 22-year-old struggles with Prader-Willi syndrome. Sole carer Katie, consulted top doctors who suggested starting Harvey on the jabs in the hope it will save and improve his life.
Speaking today to raise awareness and help parents with children in a similar situation, TV personality Katie said: “It’s really, really serious and life-changing for Harvey.
“He’s at risk of a heart attack, and because of his condition, he’s not getting any smaller.
“He’s putting on weight. It doesn’t matter what we do.
“He can’t put his shoes on without sweating. He can’t walk far because he gets out of breath.
“It’s because of all the weight. So the doctors are doing it to give him a better, longer life, and for his health.”
Harvey battles a series of debilitating conditions including autism, septo-optic dysplasia, ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder.
He is still treated at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital for children even though he’s an adult.
Mum-of-five Katie said: “The good thing about starting him on the drug is, if it has any effect, you can stop it because you do it weekly.
“We’ve tried food, he’s had dietitians, it’s just the way he is.
“And he’s on a lot of medication which the drug won’t affect.
“They want to try him on it for at least one or two years, which is a long time, but they’ll control what level he needs then up it as they assess it.”
He’s at risk of a heart attack, and because of his condition, he’s not getting any smaller
Katie
Brave Katie has raised visually-impaired Harvey herself after ex-footballer Dwight Yorke refused to have anything to do with his son.
She will help Harvey with the jabs. Once he loses weight he may then have an operation to cut off any excess skin.
Katie is an ardent campaigner for disability rights.
She has spoken extensively about the challenges of parenting someone with additional needs.
In 2018, Katie went to Parliament with her campaign to make online abuse a criminal offence after her son was trolled.
MPs launched an inquiry after a petition she started was backed by more than 200,000 people.
She told the Commons petitions committee that “the most horrific things” had been said about Harvey on social media.
She detailed their struggles in 2021 BBC documentary Harvey and Me. That year she launched a Track A Troll petition to make it more difficult for trolls to be anonymous.
The doctors are doing it to give him a better, longer life
Katie
Weight-loss jabs have been big in the US since 2018, and become more widespread here in the past 18 months. A recent report suggested more than a million Brits will be using them by October.
Sun GP Dr Zoe Williams said: “A recognised symptom of Prader-Willi syndrome is an everyday constant insatiable hunger and desire to eat which is more pronounced than most of us will ever experience.
“Managing weight is practically impossible so it makes sense that medical teams would consider weight-loss injections as a therapy for these patients.
“For those who have life- threatening levels of obesity, weight-loss injections, alongside other aspects of clinical care, can potentially be life saving.”
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