I'm a Celebrity campmate Sam Thompson has won over the heart of the nation and his fellow jungle dwellers with his sunny disposition and warm energy. His kind nature is something that has also been a pillar of support to those closest to him in his personal life, namely his older sister Louise.
Former Made in Chelsea star Louise Thompson, 33, went through a traumatic time after she experienced a complicated birth with son Leo-Hunter whom she gave birth to in 2021. Louise has been bravely honest with her fans via her Instagram account about her experience which left her with long-term post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Just 15 weeks after the ordeal, Louise shared with her followers how she had been feeling and summed up her month by describing the period as "SCARED, CONFUSED, PARALYSED, AND TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL."
She went on to say: "My brain keeps deleting memories in order to try and protect itself and it’s so scary."
"Now I have come to terms with the fact that my life might never be the same again, but things honestly can’t get any worse than they’ve been over the past month so hopefully I’m at the beginning of my actual recovery," she continued. "The only other thing that might be beneficial one day (remarkable that I've even reached a point where I can think about my future) is that I might be able to help encourage other people to keep on going. DON'T GIVE UP. JUST KEEP LIVING. ONE MORE DAY."
© InstagramSince then Louise has been bravely honest about how her PTSD has impacted her day-to-day life raising little Leo alongside her partner Ryan Libbey. She has said that she sees being able to do normal, seemingly mundane things as a "privilege".
"I’ve had a bit more time for self-reflection and to be honest when I look back over the past year (mainly through images taken) I feel mixed emotions," she wrote in an Instagram caption. "I feel a bit angry, like I want to swear a lot, especially when I look at how glazed over I was at the beginning of his journey on earth."
© Instagram"Then I want to cry," she continued. "I want to cry because I was a totally c**p parent. I really was. And it wasn’t my fault. But it didn’t need to be that way.”
Louise has shown admirable positivity following the experience. She told fans: "His first birthday felt as much of a birthday as it was my first anniversary of a new life," she continued. "A complicated life, but hopefully a fruitful one. But as each year passes it will become less of an anniversary of nearly dying, and instead just a BRILLIANT (and normal) BIRTHDAY."
© InstagramThrough the traumatic experience, her brother Sam has been a source of support. On Louise's birthday in 2022 the Hits Radio presenter posted a sweet photo with his sister captioned: "There was a chance not too long ago this day wouldn’t happen. And now here we are. Grateful for every minute I get to annoy you on this earth. Happy birthday to my sister and my best friend. Here’s to many more love you so much."
Sam was also seen at Louise and Ryan's home holding baby Leo shortly after his birth nodding subtly to the support he was providing his sister throughout: "Getting back to normality one day at a time."
© InstagramThe I'm a Celeb campmate reflected on the experience in a Christmas post the year Leo was born. The former Made in Chelsea star said: "Nearly losing my sister was one of the toughest things I’ve ever had to deal with. The hardest situations teach the biggest lessons, and I learnt to never take any day for granted ever again.
"To see all the pain she has suffered, and all the setbacks she has faced, and to see her still smiling at the end of it just shows how incredible of a woman she is," he continued. "Just to see you put on a dress for the first time in months is everything I could have asked for and more. I am so grateful for you and your strength @louise.thompson and I promise 2022 will be your year!! And I will be there to p**s you off every step of the way."
© ShutterstockDISCOVER: I'm a Celeb viewers in tears as Sam Thompson discusses 'lows' of health condition
Louise has returned the support now Sam has entered the jungle. She wrote on Instagram: "We'll be tuning in regularly and voting like crazy so you have to do some horrendous creepy crawly challenge-y stuff because I'd quite like to see a cockroach crawl up your nose and out through your ear.
"Leo's words not mine, ;-)," the star joked, adding: "Love u always x."
If you are struggling contact your GP, a healthcare professional, or visit the Birth Trauma Association online for further support.
