Mum-of-22 Sue Radford left in tears after confronting daughter over health decision
Topics: Celebrity, Parenting, Radford Family, Sue Radford, Channel 5, Health, TV And Film
Rhiannon Ingle
Featured Image Credit: Channel 5
Topics: Celebrity, Parenting, Radford Family, Sue Radford, Channel 5, Health, TV And Film
22 Kids and Counting star Sue Radford was left in tears after confronting her daughter over a life-changing health decision.
The mum from 'Britain's largest family' opened up about the situation in Sunday's episode (18 August) on Channel 5 when her daughter Tillie faced a difficult choice after her dad, Noel, discovered she was being bullied over her disability.
Speaking on the TV show about the possibility of a leg operation for her daughter, now 14, Sue explained: "When Tillie was five, she was stood in front of me and I thought, 'There was a bone like it was sticking out'.
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"I went straight to the doctor and the doctor went, 'Yep, that definitely doesn't look right'. There was a problem with that bone."
The Manchester Evening News reports that Tillie recently faced a pretty major setback after an infection affected the growth plate in her femur.
Updating viewers on Tillie's condition, Sue continued: "We don't know if that bone will stop growing, we just have to hope that it doesn't and that it's alright. It is an absolute nightmare."
Dad Noel explained just how serious the situation was, sharing that if Tillie didn't have any intervention, her leg bone would continue to grow improperly.
As a child, Tillie underwent surgery and endured nine months with a device to maintain leg alignment and, despite the removal of the device, she was left with some pretty serious scarring.
Four years after the operation, Tillie gave an update on her health, saying: "My left still isn't growing and I am still lop-sided."
"We have seen a massive change in her limp," Noel added. "There is a big difference in the two sides."
Tillie didn't seem sure about what to do when faced with the possibility of a life-changing operation which could lengthen her leg.
"We didn't realise it was that bad, did we?" Sue questioned while Noel agreed: "No, when she stands in front of us you can see, but there is a massive difference."
"The million-dollar question is whether you want something to be done," the doctor then asked the family to which Tillie replied: "I am not really sure."
"Our heart sank when she said she didn't want it to be done," Noel said to the camera upon hearing Tillie's response.
However, after some consideration, the teenager decided to go ahead with the surgery: "I want the operation. The aim is to have the operation and then everything from then will get better."
The narrator, Sally Lindsay, then shared that while the operation is still 'months away', Tillie has made a decision 'that could potentially change her life'.
Between them, Sue and Noel are parents to; Chris, 35, Sophie, 30, Chloe, 28, Jack, 27, Daniel, 25, Luke, 23, Millie, 22, Katie, 21, James, 20, Ellie, 19, Aimee, 18, Josh, 17, Max, 15, Tillie, 14, Oscar, 12, Casper, 11, Hallie, nine, Phoebe, eight, Archie, six and Bonnie, five.
Their youngest, Heidie, is just four-years-old. They also had a child in 2014 named Alfie but he was sadly stillborn.
And, even while Sue has spent nearly 17 years of her life pregnant, she still isn't ruling out expanding her family of 22.