Steph and Dom Parker are set to open up about the daily battles faced by their chronically ill son in a Channel 4 documentary.
Former Gogglebox favourites Steph and Dom have opened up for the first time about their son's difficult battle with epilepsy.
In a Channel 4 documentary entitled, 'Can Cannabis Save Our Son?', the TV duo share the intimate details of their family in the hope that they can learn more about what can be done to alleviate their son Max's symptoms.
The documentary, which is due to air next week, explores the contentious subject of medicinal cannabis, and how effective it might be in helping to treat epilepsy.
Speaking of the purpose behind making the film, Steph states: 'I want to make this clear straightaway, this is not a scientific documentary, it is a personal film. We just wanted to explore the issues, talk to people and collect anecdotal information.'
Max, 18, has been chronically ill with severe epilepsy since he was four years old, and suffers over 100 seizures a day. He is also autistic, and has to take a several strong drugs each day to control his condition.
The first objective of the couple is to help clear up any misconceptions about medicinal cannabis, as it remains a very controversial topic within the UK.
Steph addressed this issue in an interview with The Daily Mail, saying: 'People say to us: 'Are you going to give your child cannabis?' No, we are not!'
The TV personality then explains the difference between regular cannabis and medicinal cannabis: 'Medicinal cannabis is produced in laboratories and all the psychotics and hallucinogens, anything that some might regard as the fun stuff that gets you high, all that gets taken out.'
The couple discussed their brave decision to expose such a vulnerable part of their lives. 'It was a big moral decision', Dom stated. 'Should we expose the most vulnerable part of us and our vulnerable son and our vulnerable family like this?'
Max attends a special boarding school in Hertfordshire, which is one of only two schools in the UK that provides 24-hour care for children with his type of condition. He also has a trained, full time carer during school holidays.
Similar to many autistic children, Max is loving but wary of being physically affectionate. While he will let Dom give him a hug if he must, he has never hugged his mother. Steph told The Daily Mail: 'The most I get is a head butt.'
Steph & Dom: Can Cannabis Save Our Son? is on Channel 4 on Monday 28th January at 9pm
