Laura Hamilton says she won't stop her illness preventing her from doing what she loves as she shared pictures of her latest filming - including some showing the impact of her condition.
The Place In The Sun presenter has Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), also known as immune thrombocytopenic purpura, a disorder of the blood that causes a decrease in the number of platelets.
Platelets are small blood cells that help with clotting and the prevention of bleeding. In ITP, the body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys platelets. Symptoms of ITP can include easy bruising, petechiae (small red or purple spots on the skin), nosebleeds, and bleeding gums. In severe cases, internal bleeding can occur.
The presenter recently revealed she was shooting more episodes of the Channel 4 property series. During her time on location, Laura refused to cover her bruises from ITP, reports The Echo.
Sharing a montage of clips on Instagram, Laura said: "What a great few days filming something new in the sun. My legs are covered in bruises, but with ITP that is often the case and I'll never let it stop me from doing the things I love!"
Fans took to the comment section to commend Laura on her bravery with several calling her "beautiful and strong." One follower said: "Looking amazing Laura and so glad to hear that you don’t let ITP define you or stop you from enjoying life." Another added: "Good for you Laura take care."
Laura opened up about her condition in a previous post to help fans understand how ITP affects her. She said: "Sometimes I do push myself a bit too hard and I will hold my hands up and say I've probably been doing that recently with my house build. My ITP has flared up so I want to take this opportunity to try and raise a bit of awareness about this autoimmune disease...
"ITP or Immune thrombocytopenia usually happens when your immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys platelets. It's quite a common illness that children can have and grow out of but adults can get it too. Just because you have ITP it doesn't mean you can't live a full life, achieving what you want. Three people in my family have auto immune diseases (all different kinds), and we all try to keep as positive as possible."
ITP can be acute or chronic. Acute ITP usually develops in children after a viral infection and typically resolves on its own within a few weeks to months. Chronic ITP is characterized by a persistently low platelet count and can occur in both children and adults.
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Treatment options for ITP depend on the severity of the condition and may include medications to increase platelet counts or suppress the immune system, as well as surgery to remove the spleen (where platelets are destroyed in the body). In some cases, no treatment is needed and the condition may resolve on its own over time.
