A Place in the Sun favourite Laura Hamilton has shared an update on her autoimmune disorder ITP.
ITP, or immune thrombocytopenic purpura, is an autoimmune condition that causes a low platelet count, which can lead to an increased risk of bleeding.
As a result, ITP can be life-threatening. In fact, during filming of the Channel 4 series, Laura met a couple who had lost a family member to the disease.
Laura Hamilton on autoimmune illness and how it ‘takes its toll’
Happily, however, Laura has shared that hers is now “very much under control”. Her update comes after a flare-up last December left her with bruises on her legs.
At the time, Laura shared more details about her ITP flare-up. She shared pictures of her flared-up legs to Instagram and said: “So that’s ITP, immune thrombocytopenic purpura. It’s a reaction from a low platelet count that I have in my blood.
“It’s been a very, very crazy week for me which I’ll tell you more about very soon. I’ve been really really busy and I think it’s just taken its toll,” she said.
Now, however, the condition is “under control”.
ITP ‘under control’
Speaking to Bang, Laura said: “My ITP is very much under control, and it flares if I get stressed.”
She then revealed how her job on A Place in the Sun, which means she has to travel a lot, affects the condition.
“So in terms of like can I travel? Yes I can. I just have to monitor it,” she said.
Laura added: “I have blood tests to see what my platelet levels are like, and they’re fine.”
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‘His sister died from ITP’
Laura first opened up to fans about ITP back in October 2022. She revealed that her skin starts to flare up when she’s stressed.
She said: “It was really mad a year ago I was filming A Place in the Sun with a lovely couple in France – Mark and Janine – and I just stood there and I had an insect bite on my leg and I started scratching it. I thought, oh, I shouldn’t have done that because I’m gonna have bruises on my leg from ITP.”
Mark stopped Laura at that moment and asked her how she knew about ITP, revealing his “sister had died from ITP”.
Laura continued: “It’s kind of under control at the moment, I don’t have bruising quite like that on my legs, but it does happen, it does flare up, but I’m always trying to be positive about it. The disease only affects 4000 adults at one time, and is most common among young women.”
Read more: Laura Hamilton supported by A Place in the Sun viewers: ‘That was hard going’
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