10 March 2024 , 17:32
606
0
Gregg Wallace paid tribute to his wife Anne-Marie Sterpini for Mother's Day, having shared a post about parents of autistic children to mark the special occasion this week.
The MasterChef judge, 59, and his wife, 37 - who's known as Anna - are parents to four-year-old son Sid together. Gregg announced two years ago that the couple's son had been diagnosed with autism and global development delay.
He's spoken about their experiences since then, including having previously discussed the challenges of Sid being non-verbal. Gregg issued an update this week though, in which he said that his son has shared "his first words".
The news was shared on Sunday and Gregg also took to Instagram this morning with a post about his wife Anna for Mother's Day. It paid tribute to parents of children with autism and had initially been shared by Anna herself. Gregg went on to share the post himself on the platform.
Greg has praised his beloved wife (@greggawallace/Instagram)
He shared a sweet message on Instagram (greggawallace/Instagram)The post is understood to originate from content creator Fiorella Perkins, who is credited as the founder of Growing On the Spectrum. The community group provides support around autism in the US, including monthly meet-ups.
Marmite and toast addict loses the weight of two people after tragic health news
Paying tribute, the post reads: "To all the Autism Moms on Mother's Day. The moms who haven't heard the word 'mom'. The ones scheduling life around therapies. The ones who are up all night and still show up during the day. The ones who fight like hell to get their kids what they deserve."
It continues: "The ones who say they're ok because they know people wouldn't get it. To the ones who wouldn't trade it for the world because they know a love that most don't get the chance to experience." And the post concludes: "We see you. We admire you. Happy Mother's Day."
The chef has been open about life with Sid who is non-verbal (greggawallace/Instagram)Anna also reflected on the occasion in her own post this morning. She wrote in her post: "Happy Mother's Day. I am so proud of you my baby Sid. Thank you for coming into my life. You have made me see the world differently. I love you."
Gregg has spoken about the family's experiences in interviews, including having discussed Sid being non-verbal earlier this year. He said at the time that it was "troubling" because they can't always tell Sid's feelings. He said, for example, that Sid is unable to tell them when he's unhappy or scared.
He however said that "communication is improving," as well as that his son has "a lot of character" and is "very happy". Gregg issued an update this weekend which included footage of Sid learning to count. The presenter wrote: "Sid is counting! It's his first words!" Anna shared her pride in her own post.