Tour de force
MY F-ING TOURETTE’S FAMILY
Channel 4, 9pm WHEN the Davies-Monk family go out for a pizza, it can prove rather more stressful than the average meal out.
Teenager Spencer may start swearing loudly while little Lewis, nine, could make offensive remarks about other diners. Before long, the family usually cut short their meal and go. Both boys have Tourette’s, a neurological disorder expressed in physical and verbal tics.
“Tourette’s is like your little buddy who’s annoying, but he’s part of you,” says Spencer, 13.
Their mum Hayley says: “We’ve had people screaming and telling me I’m a horrendous parent.”
Dad Richard remembers when his sons were “just like other kids” – mild-mannered, well-behaved and polite.
But when Spencer was seven, he started sniffing and snorting uncontrollably, a classic early sign.
Swearing with Tourette’s is rare, but within a year it was clear that Spencer was one of the 10 per cent. Then there was a double whammy when, aged five, Lewis started to tic too.
“Friends disappeared and we felt quite alienated,” says Hayley, who adds that the family have spent years hiding.
This eye-opening, inspiring and emotional documentary follows the family as they embark on “coming out” to the world, eating in restaurants and even going on holiday abroad.
But when your child might shout “I’ve got a bomb” while going through airport security, every new adventure presents a challenge.
Hayley says: “We’re never embarrassed by our children,” while Richard adds: “It’s vitally important that we don’t hide away. We’re proud of who we are.”