Emmerdale's Laura Norton and Mark Jordon's kids diagnosed with rare genetic condition
They want to raise awareness
Real-life Emmerdale couple Laura Norton and Mark Jordon have revealed their two children have both been diagnosed with a rare genetic disease called Usher syndrome.
The couple, who play the roles of Kerry Wyatt and Daz Spencer in the ITV soap, bravely opened up to HELLO! in an attempt to raise awareness of the condition.
Mum-of-two Laura took to Instagram to tell fans: 'To everyone reading, Firstly, Thank you. It hasn’t been easy making the decision to share this for a few different reasons. But, after months of deliberating we came to the conclusion that the only way forward was to talk about it so we shared our story with the lovely people at @hellomag who are helping us raise awareness.
'Within the last year both of our children have been diagnosed with the condition usher syndrome , something neither of us had heard of before. We are on a journey, and learning as we go. There are 3 main types of usher affecting hearing, vision and balance variably. We have proudly joined forces with the inspirational @jomilne10 by becoming trustee’s of her charity @cureusher to raise awareness. To help find funding for a cure. It’s now our mission to do everything we can to spread the word. We also want anyone out there living with ushers or those that know someone that has the condition that they are not alone. We are here for the community to with comfort and support.
'Our children are incredible. Already thriving in the face of adversity and we will devote ourselves to doing everything in our power to finding treatment and a cure. Trials are ready to go but the condition is so rare and unheard of it doesn’t have the support and funding to move at the rate that it could.
'We’re asking you to please take a minute to look at and please follow the charity @cureusher , to become as aware of this condition as you can. Today is #rarediseaseday and your support for all things #Ushers could help make a difference.' (sic)
The couple's friends and fans were quick to comment on the post, with many thanking them for bringing awareness to the condition.
Actress Sammy Winward wrote: 'Unbelievably proud of you both. Love you guys beyond xxx', with Emmerdale star Charley Webb adding: 'No words for how proud I am of you. ✨'. (sic)
Gemma Atkinson then commented: '❤️❤️', with Lisa Riley writing: '💛💛💛so much love to you both 💛💛💛'.
A fan wrote: 'As a mother to a beautiful boy with Ushers I thank you for speaking about your story and raising awareness for our babies. Xxx'. (sic)
Another then commented: 'As the parent of a child with a similarly rare genetic condition, and another child also effected by rare disease, I thank you for sharing your story and raising awareness. Sending lots of love and well wishes to you both, and your beautiful children ❤️'. (sic)
According to the NHS, Usher syndrome is 'a genetic condition that affects hearing, vision and balance'.
Laura and Mark first met on the set of Emmerdale in 2014 and started dating back in 2015. After Mark proposed to Laura on New Year's Day in 2019, the couple went on to welcome their first child, a baby boy called Jesse in January 2021.
It was then in October 2022 when they announced they'd welcomed a baby girl called Ronnie.
See which other couples met on Emmerdale:
Matthew Wolfenden and Charley Webb
Matthew Wolfenden and Charley Webb met on Emmerdale, where Matthew plays David Metcalfe and Charley stars as Debbie Dingle. They tied the knot in 2018 and share three sons called Buster, Bowie and Ace Gene.
After weeks of rumoured, the couple released a statement in November 2023 to confirm they've now split.
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Mark Jordon and Laura Norton
Emmerdale's Mark Jordon AKA Daz Spencer and Laura Norton AKA Kerry Wyatt met on the set of Emmerdale in 2014 and began dating in 2015.
They announced their engagement on New Year's Day 2019 and welcomed their first child, a baby boy called Jesse in January 2021. The pair confirmed in October 2022 that they'd welcomed their second child, a baby girl called Ronnie.
Status: Engaged
Jeff Hordley and Zoe Henry
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Status: Married
Natalie J Robb and Jonny McPherson
Emmerdale actors Natalie J Robb (Moira Barton) and Jonny McPherson (Dr Liam Cavanagh) appeared together in Zoom call during lockdown, confirming rumours that they have been dating since the start of the year.
Natalie then appeared on Loose Women in July where she said, "Our first date was in mid-January, and then we were just having a couple of dates in February and then obviously March lockdown happened."
However, the pair called it quits during the first half of 2021.
Status: Split
Fiona Wade and Simon Cotton
Emmerdale's Fiona Wade, who plays Priya Sharma, announced in 2017 that she was dating someone, and when she posted a cryptic photo in the summer of 2018, many were sure that she was in a relationship with Simon Cotton, who had a small part on the soap in 2017.
The couple announced their engagement on New Year's Day 2019 and tied the knot in a stunning ceremony in November 2019.
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James Sutton and Sammy Winward
James Sutton currently stars in Hollyoaks as John Paul McQueen but formerly played Ryan Lamb in Emmerdale, where he had a brief romance with Sammy Winward AKA Katie Sugden in 2010.
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Kris Mochrie and Max Parker
Former Emmerdale co-stars Kris Mochrie and Max Parker played brothers on the soap, but they stayed in touch when Kris left his role and confirmed their romance with a romantic trip to Dubai in September 2020.
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Peter Amory and Claire King
Peter Amory AKA Chris Tate and Claire King, who played his stepmother Kim Tate on Emmerdale, were married for 10 years.
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Samantha Giles and Peter Amory
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Chris Chittell and Lesley Dunlop
Emmerdale co-stars Chris Chittell, who plays Eric Pollard, and Lesley Dunlop, who plays Brenda Walker met on set and got married in Cornwall in 2016.
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Kate Brooks and Michelle Hardwick
Emmerdale actress Michelle Brooks, who plays the role of Vanessa Woodfield, married the soap's producer Kate Brooks in September 2019, with the couple going on to welcome a baby boy in October 2020! Two years later, the couple then welcomed their second child!
Status: Dating
Speaking to HELLO! about their decision to go public with their children's diagnosis, 58-year-old Mark said: "We've agonised about doing this before we’ve even told our children about their condition.
"But we would never forgive ourselves if we did nothing when we could be making changes that would help them and other children. So we’re going to write them a letter to explain why we did this and show it to them when they’re old enough to understand.
"Although it was devastating when Ronnie was diagnosed with the same condition as her brother, it was comforting that neither of them will go through this on their own; that they've got each other. As they grow up, Jesse will be the best influence and support for her.
You can find out more about Usher syndrome at CUREUsher.