Mark Wright breaks down in tears over nephew's health battle and says 'it just hurts'
Presley, the son of Mark's sister Jessica Wright and her husband William Lee-Kemp, was diagnosed with a rare heart condition that has deeply affected the entire family.
The former TOWIE star, 37, was speaking at the Have A Heart Gala, which was hosted by his sister Jessica in support of The Brompton Fountain, a charity supporting children with serious heart and lung conditions.
READ MORE: Jess Wright shares rare insight into Mark and Michelle's parenting of baby Palma
READ MORE: Jess Wright's 'world ended' over 2-year-old son Presley's life-threatening heart defect
Taking to the stage after watching a short film about the charity, which featured Presley, Mark was visibly emotional as he said, "When it's that close to home, it just…sorry, it just hurts,' his voice breaking as he addressed the crowd.
"Although I don't tell her often, my sister is an extraordinary woman. I am biased, of course, but I think we can all agree that her and her husband Will's strength, honesty and the love they show their son is nothing short of remarkable.
'And to my nephew, you're the bravest little boy I know,' he added, turning his back to the stage to compose himself as the room — including his supportive wife Michelle Keegan — erupted in applause.
The event, hosted at The Savoy in London, saw Jessica supported by the whole Wright clan; including Mark and Michelle, brother Josh and his wife Hollie, sister Natalya and parents Carol and Mark Snr.
Explaining the inspiration behind the event, which saw famous faces including Gemma Collins, Pete Wicks and Vicky Pattison in attendance, Jessica says, 'The minute that we found out about Presley's heart condition, I wanted to do something to help the charity that supports the hospital that he's at."
Last year, she and husband William Lee Kemp discovered Presley was suffering from a Bicuspid Aortic Valve — a condition where the aortic valve has only two leaflets instead of the usual three.
Left untreated, it can lead to severe complications, including heart failure and infection.
Presley now has regular hospital check-ups every 12 weeks, where doctors monitor his heart with scans and ECGs to determine when he will need open-heart surgery.
Admitting she and William have had to lean on one another since finding out Presley will need surgery at some point, Jessica explained, 'We are really supportive of each other. I definitely break down a lot more than Will, but I feel like that's because women generally tend to be slightly more emotional. It's been a huge blow to us both.
"To be honest, we can barely say the words out loud without... I don't know. We don't really like talking about it, but then sometimes I just feel like I have to and it's like the elephant in the room. We're still coming to terms with it,' she admits after a pause.
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