Denise Richards Reveals Daughter Eloise Has Special Needs
Denise Richards is opening up about her 7-year-old daughter, Eloise.
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star reveals in a new interview that her youngest child has special needs.
A chromosomal disorder "has caused a lot of developmental delays for [Eloise]," Richards tells People. "She wasn't able to sit up on her own for a very long time, and she didn't start walking until she was 2, and that was with physical therapy."
"She can only say a handful of words," Richards continues, adding that Eloise was diagnosed with a deletion on chromosome 8 two and a half years ago. "And there are times when she feels like her age in understanding, and then other times where it feels she's emotionally 3 years old. It's been challenging. I'm learning every day because they don’t really have a road map for her particular case."
Richards knows that "every child is different," and says it's a parent's duty to "take care of your children no matter what is going on with them."
"I don’t know if [Eloise] is ever going to talk like a typical child," she reveals. "But as a parent, you want what's best for your children, and you just do it."
Richards, who is married to Aaron Phypers, adopted Eloise domestically while she was single in June 2011. She also shares two children -- daughters Sam, 14, and Lola, 13 -- with her ex-husband, Charlie Sheen.
"I'm most proud of raising my kids, especially in a time that is very different from how I was raised," Richards says. "It’s extremely hard to keep children grounded. This is not an easy time to grow up."
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