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James Middleton shares emotional message to rarely-seen goddaughter

Princess Kate's brother is a doting father to his one-year-old son Inigo…

June 5, 2024
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James Middleton took to social media with an emotional message on Tuesday.

The entrepreneur, 37, penned a heartfelt tribute to his goddaughter, Anouk, who suffers from spinal ­muscular atrophy (SMA), a condition which causes progressive muscle wastage and weakness. Her condition is likely to leave her using a wheelchair as she gets older.

A screenshot of a MailOnline article
James penned the heartfelt words on his Instagram Stories

James' sweet words were in reaction to a recent MailOnline article that saw Anouk's parents open up and raise awareness about their daughter's condition. 

Alongside a screenshot of the article, James wrote: "So proud of Mike and Sophie for raising awareness of SMA and even more proud of my amazing goddaughter Anouka [red love heart emoji]."

Anouk and her family were incredibly brave in opening up about her condition which sadly could have been avoided. According to the report, in the last five years, new treatments have been approved which can stop the disease from developing if it's caught in the first few weeks of life, but currently in the UK it isn't a condition babies are tested for. 

James also shared a link to the official page for ACE SMA, a charity raising awareness for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

James often uses his platform to raise awareness for his family members and his own health struggles. 

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Previously he has been incredibly open about his battle with depression, and how his late therapy dog, Ella supported him during that time. 

Since she passed away in January last year, James has announced he is releasing a book titled: Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life.

Last month, James revealed the front cover of the new book whilst talking at the Good Woof dog festival, and shortly afterwards, he followed up with a photo of the cover on Instagram. 

View post on Instagram
 

James chose a special image which saw him holding Ella around his neck. Alongside the photo he wrote: "For fifteen years Ella carried me over the obstacles life thew at me…but in our last moments together I carried her. This photo means so much to me and I’ve chosen it to be the front cover of my upcoming book.

"It was taken by my wife Alizee on one of our last walks together. I had tears in my eyes as I knew she was getting weaker by the day. But we enjoyed every last moment we could together.

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"It was wonderful to release the cover @goodwoofdogs and really touched by how many of you came to hear me talk about the book and coping with the loss of a dog

It’s available on pre-order in the UK & the US - link is in my bio and will be released 26th September."

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