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This Monday, the model, actress and television host Églantine Éméyé has just announced on social networks the death of her son, Samy. Aged 17, he suffered from several disabilities and severe autism.
While the television host had been fighting for years alongside her son, who has multiple disabilities and severe autism, he died earlier this week.
The causes of his death remain unknown.
It was on her Instagram and Twitter accounts that Églantine Éméyé announced on Monday February 20 the death of her 17-year-old son Samy.
“Last night, at midnight, my little angel, my toothbrush thief, my little lion with such a gentle gaze, flew off to the stars, after 13 days of struggle. I have no more words… Only immense pain, and the infinite love I have for him. My Samychou, I love you… Forever. Your mama is heartbroken, but she knows you’ll never hurt again“, wrote on the social networks the host of the World of Jamy on France 3.
If we do not know the causes of his death, we do know that the youngest son of the facilitator had become disabled following an undiagnosed stroke when he was very young.
Also suffering from autism and epilepsy, he communicated little, walked with difficulty, and was mutilated for a long time.
“You can’t imagine the pain it is… the loneliness… I felt extremely alone, there is a lack of structures“, she confided not without sadness on the set of We are not in bed.
For lack of a suitable establishment, the actress had to place her son in a specialized center located in Hyères, 900 kilometers from her home.
Her son’s disability had become a personal struggle
Despite the difficulties, Églantine Éméyé kept hope and had transformed her son’s handicap into a personal fight: she had recounted the fight she fought for Samy in the book “The toothbrush thief” and had founded the association “A step towards life“, to support families of people with autism
The signs manifest themselves slowly and subtly during the first three years of life. But some early symptoms can still alert parents:
- No babbling or gestures to communicate for a year;
- No words before the age of 18 months;
- No spontaneous two-word sentence before two years;
- A sudden loss of language skills or a sudden desocialization.
Other more discreet clues can also be evocative: few smiles in response to those made to him, practically no response to the first name.
If in doubt, a healthcare professional should be consulted.