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RHOC's Emily Simpson Emotionally Details 10-Year-Old Son's Rare Eating Disorder
Emily Simpson is putting family first.
After sharing that her 10-year-old son Luke was diagnosed with the rare eating disorder ARFID—or Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder—The Real Housewives of Orange County star revealed how Luke's health battle affected her and husband Shane Simpson's other two kids, daughter Annabelle, 12, and Luke's twin Keller.
"When we were deep in it, it was difficult and I probably didn't spend as much time with Keller and Annabelle as we should have I," Emily told E! News in an exclusive interview. "Annabelle, because she's so strong and she's a very confident young lady, I felt like she was managing it very well. After, she came to me and said she felt neglected during that time period."
The 49-year-old admitted that getting Luke the help he needed with therapists and food specialists who understood his food avoidance issues pulled focus for a while in their household.
"Shane and I were very engrossed in Luke and parenting him," Emily continued. "It was very overwhelming for us."
As for how Keller reacted to his twin's health issues, Emily reflected, "I think he saw Luke lash out and behave in ways that were hard for him. I ended up having to put both of them in therapy as well to talk to somebody. I didn't really understand how much Luke was dealing with would affect the other kids and it did."
While Emily shared that Luke still "only eats three to four different things" total, they are better equipped to help him manage his eating disorder.
Instagram/Emily Simpson
"Luke is doing much better than when we were filming," Emily told E! of her season 19 experience. "That was a huge stress for him and also he's not in school, which was another big stress for him."
"Before I understood the disorder and what was actually happening in his brain, we would get frustrated with him that he wouldn't try different foods," the reality star added. "I made a lot of mistakes along the way. Now we know that he has safe foods and we always have those in the house. We don't give him any grief about eating those safe foods that he's comfortable with and we try to introduce, every once in a while, something new."
And for any parents worried their child might be facing an eating disorder similar to Luke, Emily shared, "If something seems off or doesn't feel right, find a good therapist and talk to them. There's a wealth of information out there now. Moms aren't wrong. If you feel it in your gut, then you're probably not wrong."
See Emily's emotional journey continue when The Real Housewives of Orange County airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on Bravo. In the meantime, keep reading to learn more about season 19.
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Shannon Storms Beador
With her ex finally in the rear-view mirror, Shannon Storms Beador is bouncing back stronger than ever. Single and selectively ready to mingle, Shannon has been spotted around Orange County having fun and being dubbed the “Kissing Bandit of Corona Del Mar.” After taking one step forward with Tamra at the reunion, their rollercoaster relationship continues to take more steps backward. Shannon’s newfound friendship with Katie catches everyone by surprise until a revelation threatens the group dynamics to the point of no return.
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Heather Dubrow
Heather Dubrow is living her best penthouse life, but in Orange County she finds her role as peacekeeper challenged, along with her friendship with Tamra. Always striving to be the best mom to her children, she continues to provide guidance through their milestones and show support for the LGBTQ+ community.
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Tamra Judge
Tamra Judge finds herself in an emotional place as she unlocks past trauma in therapy, prepares for daughter Sophia to leave the nest and navigates her very close friend and confidant’s cancer diagnosis. With a desire to change her explosive reactions to charged situations, Tamra navigates shifting friendships within the group, but runs into the ultimate test when Gretchen Rossi returns to deal with some unfinished business.
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Emily Simpson
Emily Simpson takes on one of the biggest challenges of her life when one of her sons is diagnosed with a rare medical condition. Emotionally drained, Emily has a hard time making the space to mend things with Katie after losing her trust last season. Emily’s loyalty is tested when her friend Gretchen enters the group and causes issues with her friendship with Tamra.
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Gretchen Rossi
After a 12-year hiatus, Gretchen Rossi makes her return to the group through new friends Jennifer and Katie, but she finds herself stuck dealing with the same old issues with Tamra. Their problems get amplified when a new story from an unlikely source causes a chain reaction forever shifting the dynamics of the friend group.
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Gina Kirschenheiter
Gina Kirschenheiter has a new perspective on life and takes a big step forward in her relationship with Travis as they move back in together. After ex-husband Matt suffers a heart attack, Gina embraces living in the moment. In the friend group, she sets her sights on exposing lies and righting the wrongs.
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Jennifer Pedranti
With the chatter and rumors now behind them, Jennifer Pedranti and fiancé Ryan start to plan the bikini-clad wedding of their dreams while also preparing to send off her son to the Marines. While Jennifer has a lot to unpack with Tamra, she finds camaraderie with gal pal Gretchen and deepens her relationships with Shannon and Heather. When rumors come to light and shake the group to its core, Jennifer is torn between loyalty and truth.
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Katie Ginella
Recently moved into a new house in Newport Beach, Katie Ginella continues her strong friendship with Jennifer and starts to form a connection with Gretchen. She quickly realizes she isn’t on solid ground as her friendships start to deteriorate and finds herself backed into several corners. Katie’s apology tour morphs into an uphill battle when all of her actions and motives are questioned.
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