The Boyzone singer yesterday revealed that his daughter Mia, who was diagnosed with autism as a baby, achieved ‘unbelievable’ results in her Junior Certificate this year.
Sharing the wonderful news on RTÉ Radio 1’s The Ray D’Arcy Show, the proud star said: “I never thought she’d be in mainstream school, I never thought she’d sit State exams, I never thought any of this would happen for her.”
“We had no idea what to expect when the results came out. She could have come out with 5 or 6 Es and I would have been just as proud of her to be honest. But the fact that she did as well as she did was just unbelievable,” he added.
Reflecting on Mia’s incredible journey, he explained how she was “severely autistic” when she was younger, and non-verbal until she was seven: “She wasn’t responding, she didn’t have much eye contact, she wasn’t interested in spending time with anyone.”
Keith and wife Lisa – who are also parents to 18-year-old son Jay – have actively fundraised for autism awareness charities over the past number of years, and have helped to raise over €8 million for Irish Autism Action.
Congratulations to Mia and the entire family.
