Katie Price wants to train to become a paramedic.
The 42-year-old studied to be a nurse before becoming a full-time glamour model.
And after caring for disabled son Harvey and mum Amy, who is terminally ill with a lung disease, she reckons she has a “carer inside of me”.
Mum-of-five Katie says: “I was training to be a nurse after I left school and I still want to train to be a paramedic.
“I know when my mum is in the final months of her life I’ll be there looking after her.
“If there’s a bird struggling in the garden I’ll bring it in and try and keep it alive. I just have that carer inside of me.
“I’m the most caring person you’d ever meet. I’m nurturing, it’s why I’ve got so many kids.”
Katie Price has said she wants to become a paramedic
As well as paramedic training, Katie, a former Daily Star Page 3 girl, is also planning a revival of her music career.
She competed to represent the UK at Eurovision in 2005, and released a duets album with ex-husband Peter Andre a year later.
And now she has set her sights on The Masked Singer or any future celebrity version of The Voice.
“I’m going to start a YouTube channel of me singing,” says Katie. “I sing all the time. I know I can sing. I’d love to go on The Masked Singer or The Voice celebrity.”
Tonight, viewers will see Katie in a BBC documentary, Katie Price: Harvey And Me.
The deeply personal film follows her as she looks for a further education residential college for Harvey, now he is 18.
Residential colleges are where adults with disabilities can live full-time with support, enabling them to learn new skills, build relationships and live more independent lives.
Katie Price has opened up in new documentary (Image: Channel 5)
Harvey, who is Katie’s son with ex-boyfriend Dwight Yorke, was born with the rare conditions septo-optic dysplasia and Prader-Willi syndrome, which affect brain function, weight regulation, hormones and vision. Harvey is also autistic and the only known adult in the UK with his combination of conditions.
Although former Manchester United forward Dwight hasn’t seen Harvey since he was four and denied being his father until a paternity test proved it, Katie says “the door is always open” for him to see his son.
“I’ve always played the mother and father role with Harvey,” says Katie. “I wish his dad was involved. But the door is always open and I hope he sees the documentary.”
Dwight has another son, Brandon Tiger, 14, with ex-girlfriend Naomi Smith and Katie wants Harvey to meet his half-brother one day.
“I’d love the mum to get in contact,” says Katie. “It’s never too late. Harvey deserves to meet his sibling.”
Katie is hoping her local authority will fund a place at National Star in Cheltenham for Harvey – it is not possible to pay for a private place.
Harvey’s autism means he can “kick off” and at 6ft 2in and 29st, he is difficult to hold back. As we revealed last week, he has smashed windows of the car taking him to school to avoid being away from Katie.
Worryingly, if Harvey keeps having these outbursts while away from Katie, he could be deemed a risk to himself or others and be sectioned under the Mental Health Act. This means finding the right college for him is incredibly important.
In the documentary, Katie meets mum Isabelle Garnett, whose autistic son Matthew was forcibly sectioned in 2015.
Aged 15 at the time, Matthew was placed in a psychiatric intensive care unit for five years, something he described as being held “in prison”.
“I couldn’t believe her story,” says Katie. “It is awful for parents to go through that.
Katie and Harvey’s special bond unveiled in new documentary (Image: Instagram)
“The problem is a lot of people aren’t trained in autism. Restraining people with the condition makes them kick off, and people then think they’re playing up when they’re not, it’s the autism.”
Katie, who is encouraging Harvey to write children’s books in braille and illustrate them as a source of income, believes National Star is perfect for his complex needs.
She adds: “There are lots of colleges but not many out there for his specific complex needs.
“I am not sending him to college because I can’t cope – he’ll come back some weekends.
“I don’t want him away from me but I can’t be selfish – I need him to get a bit more independence.”
Katie hopes Harvey And Me will help viewers to see her in a different light.
“I haven’t filmed anything like that before, so being able to do a real-life documentary on Harvey was exciting,” she explains.
“My mum said it was the first time she’d ever seen me do a show that was calm and quiet and she said it was realistic.
“People have a certain perception of me but I’m a normal person and a mum.
“I hope viewers will see that side of me and see my relationship and close bond with Harvey.”
Katie Price: Harvey And Me is showing tonight on BBC One at 8.30pm.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
