Carrie Grant has revealed she has been ‘changed’ after her autistic child, Tylan, was placed on suicide watch, while also saying that parents are often left with ‘complex PTSD’
Carrie Grant has revealed she ‘changed’ after her child was placed on suicide watch(Image: Holly Willoughby Together)
Carrie Grant has recalled “living in fear” after her child was placed on suicide watch. The TV star and vocal coach spoke openly about her child, Tylan, 24, who has Asperger’s and dyscalculia.
Dyscalculia is a lifelong neurodevelopmental learning disorder affecting a person’s ability to learn and process numbers. At the ages of 13 and 16, Tylan was placed on suicide watch after they struggled at school.
Speaking to Holly Willoughby on her YouTube show, Together, Carrie, 61, said she was changed forever. She said: “I don’t think I will ever be the same person I was before that.” However, Tylan’s life changed for the better when they landed the role of Phoenix Hathaway on Channel 4’s Hollyoaks.
Like Tylan, the character was non-binary and lived with autism. Carrie went on to tell Holly: “When you live in that hypervigilant space, many of us parents, autism families, the parents have complex PTSD because of these situations.
“Now it’s a joy to see that child thriving. But those three years… three years is a long time to be living in fear.” When asked how she navigated the challenges of mental health and Tylan not being understood, Carrie responded: “I think you are navigating on the hoof. I don’t think anyone can prepare you for it. You don’t know, but when you are in it, you do what you have to do.
“For us, we were bringing up this beautiful child and things just got progressively worse until they got to secondary school and no one was listening. We were trying to get the EHCP [An Education, Health and Care Plan]. In fact, I had an email that I’ve got on my computer at home that I was sent in error from the head.”
Carrie stated that she wouldn’t name the school in question, but alleges that the headteacher told the SENCO [special educational needs coordinator] that they did not need to reply to any of Carrie’s emails.
The email allegedly added: “I suggest we stand well back and watch the fireworks go off.” After reading the email, Carrie told Tylan that they were “going to school” and shortly after, she realised that this “wouldn’t work” for her child. “So my child was massively self-harming and ended up in hospital, not wanting to live,” Carrie bravely disclosed.
She went on to add: “As a parent I think you’re changed. I don’t think I will ever be the same person that I was before that experience. I think I am changed forever. Some of that’s for the better. Some of it’s probably not, but I think every day becomes this gruelling desire to see your child alive. And I can’t even describe that really. It’s just opening their bedroom door.”
Carriee went on to add that when opening the bedroom door, she would “check” the ceiling, adding: “The second place you look is their duvet. Is it going up and down?”
“It’s going up and down. It’s going up and down. Yes. Yes. Yes. We got them through a night. We got them through a night. We got them through a night,” she commented. Carrie and her husband, David Grant, have four children with neurodivergent diagnoses, and she explained that some children “don’t make it through,” explaining that is when people become angry with services.
“When services haven’t shown up, especially when you’ve asked for help. When you begged. Especially when you’ve asked for help,” she said.
If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
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