Gary and Jordan Ablett’s three-year-old son Levi fights infection in hospital

Gary and Jordan Ablett have a nervous wait ahead of them as their three-year-old son Levi recovers from two respiratory illnesses.

The Ablett’s were returning from a Gold Coast holiday when they noticed Levi was ill and sought immediate medical attention.  

Jordan, 29, took to Instagram on Thursday to update her followers on little Levi’s recovery.

Gary and Jordan Ablett have a nervous wait ahead of them after their three-year-old son Levi was diagnosed with two respiratory illnesses simultaneously. All Pictured

‘Little man was taken to hospital yesterday morning after almost three weeks of struggling to fight something,’ she wrote.

‘Turns out his little body has been hit with two respiratory illnesses at one time.

‘He’s been resting up and is being cared for by amazing doctors. He had a great night sleep (not poor dad though) and is doing better. Our little champ!’ 

Levi is the oldest child of AFL legend Gary Ablett Jr, 38, and his wife Jordan.

'Little man was taken to hospital yesterday morning after almost three weeks of struggling to fight something,' she wrote. 'Turns out his little body has been hit with two respiratory illnesses at one time

‘Little man was taken to hospital yesterday morning after almost three weeks of struggling to fight something,’ she wrote. ‘Turns out his little body has been hit with two respiratory illnesses at one time

Levi was diagnosed with a rare degenerative illness in 2020, which gives him a reduced capacity to naturally fight illnesses naturally compared to other children. 

Jordan, who has not disclosed what illness her son has been diagnosed with, has previously revealed it’s unlikely Levi will ever learn to talk.   

‘It’s really difficult from a practical point of view but also really difficult just being his mum and not being able to hear his voice or know what he needs,’ she told The Herald Sun in an emotional interview. 

‘When he gets upset, I have to guess what the problem is,’ Jordan, who has been married to AFL legend Gary since 2016, continued.

‘It’s also difficult because I’d love to just hear his thoughts, have conversation with my boy and for us to know he understands how much we love him.’

Jordan continued: 'He’s been resting up and is being cared for by amazing doctors. He had a great night sleep (not poor dad though) and is doing better. Our little champ!'

 Jordan continued: ‘He’s been resting up and is being cared for by amazing doctors. He had a great night sleep (not poor dad though) and is doing better. Our little champ!’

In an interview with the podcast The Significant Others in March last year, Jordan spoke about the family’s heartbreak after Levi was diagnosed with a degenerative illness. 

She said it took a long time for Levi to be diagnosed with the unspecified disease, and detailed the devastation she and Gary felt after learning the condition was ‘life threatening’. 

‘I just remember sitting with Gaz in that meeting and when they said it I just remember absolutely breaking down,’ she said.

‘There is a very short life expectancy, which is why I constantly say to people when they ask about Levi that we are literally just taking it day by day because we have no idea what the future holds,’ she continued.

Jordan, who has not disclosed what illness her son has been diagnosed with, has previously revealed that it's unlikely that Levi will ever learn to talk

Jordan, who has not disclosed what illness her son has been diagnosed with, has previously revealed that it’s unlikely that Levi will ever learn to talk

After seeing a series of paediatricians, Jordan said it was the Geelong Football Club’s team doctor who finally put them in contact with the right person. 

She said this new paediatrician ‘got the ball rolling’, and after months of concerns, the couple finally had some answers. 

Jordan said she and Gary first became concerned after noticing Levi wasn’t reaching the same milestones as other children his age.

They decided to go public with the little boy’s condition because they didn’t want to have to lie when people asked about their son. 

‘People would just say things like, “Levi must be running around now”. Comments like that are so fine to receive, but when you are on the receiving end and you know everything that is going on it’s awkward,’ she confessed. 

'People would just say things like, "Levi must be running around now". Comments like that are so fine to receive, but when you are on the receiving end and you know everything that is going on it's awkward,' she confessed

‘People would just say things like, “Levi must be running around now”. Comments like that are so fine to receive, but when you are on the receiving end and you know everything that is going on it’s awkward,’ she confessed 

‘We don’t want to lie and be like, ‘Yeah, he’s running around,’ because he wasn’t running around.’ 

Jordan said Levi’s condition has only made the family more aware of how precious every moment they have together is. 

Appearing on Channel Nine’s Who Wants to Be A Millionaire TV quiz show in May last year, Ablett spoke about Levi’s disease.   

‘He is a beautiful boy with a pretty serious condition,’ the two-time AFL premiership winner with the Geelong Cats told host Eddie McGuire.  

‘We are seeing some improvement, and Levi is having physiotherapy each day. 

‘The great thing about Levi is that he is a very determined boy and always happy. He brings so much joy to our lives.’

Jordan said it took a long time for Levi to be diagnosed with the unspecified disease

Jordan said it took a long time for Levi to be diagnosed with the unspecified disease

'He is a beautiful boy with a pretty serious condition,' Gary said last year. 'We are seeing some improvement, and Levi is having physiotherapy each day.' Jordan and Gary took Levi to meet The Wiggles in person last year (pictured)

‘He is a beautiful boy with a pretty serious condition,’ Gary said last year. ‘We are seeing some improvement, and Levi is having physiotherapy each day.’ Jordan and Gary took Levi to meet The Wiggles in person last year (pictured) 

In July, Jordan shared the moment she realised there was something wrong with the couple’s son.

In a lengthy Instagram post, Jordan said alarms went off when three-year-old son Levi, who is battling a degenerative illness, couldn’t sit up during a family photo shoot. 

‘Levi was a few months past his first birthday and while on set it became clear as day that something wasn’t right,’ she wrote. 

‘I remember the photographer asking me if Levi could stand/sit and I said no and as we continued taking photos I was thinking, “this isn’t right”. 

In July, Jordan shared the moment she realised there was something wrong with the couple's son. In a lengthy Instagram post, Jordan said alarms went off when Levi couldn't sit up during a family photo shoot

In July, Jordan shared the moment she realised there was something wrong with the couple’s son. In a lengthy Instagram post, Jordan said alarms went off when Levi couldn’t sit up during a family photo shoot

‘When I attempted to get him into a standing position he wouldn’t put any weight through his legs at all, he was super floppy in all positions, had really poor head control and for the most part (if not the entire time) kept his hands clenched tight.’ 

She continued: ‘I still cherish all my photos with my boy, but I must say there is a tinge of sadness and disappointment when I look at some because I don’t understand how things went under the radar for so long. 

‘Not having had a child before Levi I couldn’t compare and didn’t know what’s typical of a baby and what’s not.’

Appearing on Channel Nine's Who Wants to Be A Millionaire TV quiz show in May last year, Ablett spoke about Levi's disease

Appearing on Channel Nine’s Who Wants to Be A Millionaire TV quiz show in May last year, Ablett spoke about Levi’s disease 

Jordan went on: ‘If you have the slightest doubt about your child’s development, whether merely a thought or an unrelenting gut-feeling like we did, I encourage you to voice your concerns with a professional and persist if your concerns remain.

‘If there happens to be a problem then you’re the parent who knew and put baby first because you love them and want them to be well.

‘If there is no problem then you’re the parent who was unsure and put baby first because you love them and want them to be well. No harm can come from asking questions and seeking professional support,’ she concluded. 

Gary and Jordan welcomed a second child, daughter Grace, late last year.

‘Time is flying and we can’t recall life without her,’ Jordan said at the time.

‘She has slotted into this family perfectly, her sparkly smile and personality are really starting to shine through.’ 

Gary and Jordan welcomed a second child, daughter Grace, in November 2021

Gary and Jordan welcomed a second child, daughter Grace, in November 2021

***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk