For the last few seasons, Emily Simpson has been the comic relief on the Real Housewives of Orange County. However Season 19 will show viewers a new side to the mother as she navigates her son Luke’s recent diagnosis. The lawyer is being brave as she opens up about what turned her family’s life upside down. Here’s what we know.
What’s RHOC’s Emily Simpson’s son’s health condition?
While speaking on Access Hollywood, Emily shared an important update. She noted, “We didn’t know what the problem was with Luke. We did a lot of testing with him over the course of filming, and we got a lot of diagnoses.” The RHOC star went on to share, “We were trying to figure it out, and I don’t know if we figured it out. I still feel like he needs a lot more.” The journey will play out on Season 19, but there is still a long way to go. According to Emily, “He’s very complicated. He’s very complex. So Shane and I had to do a lot of therapy to understand how to parent him and be better for him because we can’t parent him the way we parent the other four.”
She explained, “It was a process. It was a lot. We’re still learning. He’s much better, but I also worry about when school starts because I don’t know if he can handle it. I don’t know if he needs to be in a special school. We’re just trying to figure it all out.”
Will Emily Simpson’s son be okay?

As fans will learn during the Season 19 premiere, Luke was diagnosed with ARFID. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, “Individuals with ARFID limit the volume and/or variety of foods they consume, but unlike the other eating disorders, food avoidance or restriction is not related to fears of fatness or distress about body shape, size or weight. Instead, in ARFID, selective eating is motivated by a lack of interest in eating or food, sensory sensitivity.” During Episode 1, Emily shared that Luke will still have to go through more testing. Emily’s journey will be a hard one to watch but her bravery will undoubtedly help other families in the same position.
The Real Housewives of Orange County is available to stream on Peacock and Hayu in the UK and Ireland.
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