Sophie Kasaei and Jordan Brook Share Heartfelt Update on His 'Life-Changing' Brain Injury and Its Impact on Parenthood

IT seemed like all of their dreams had finally come true when reality TV power couple Sophie Kasaei and Jordan Brook learned they were pregnant after years of difficulty conceiving.

But the fairytale was cut short when Jordan was left on his deathbed after contracting meningitis just weeks before baby Brody arrived. Now, in their first joint interview since becoming parents, Sophie and Jordan reveal how the life-changing brain injury he suffered as a result of the condition is still impacting parenthood months on.

Jordan told me: “It was very tough at the beginning with things like night feeds because I was going through a brain injury recovery.

“Of course Soph took so much of the brunt on which I’m so thankful that she did.

“The number one thing the doctors were telling me is I had to rest. I needed that – we needed me to be well and be better to be a dad.

“(But) without Soph I couldn’t have done that.”

It was the couple’s worst nightmare when Jordan was left spending weeks in hospital after a shocking diagnosis of meningitis.

What should have been one of the happiest times of the couple’s lives turned into a nightmare they could never have imagined.

Instead of making final preparations for the arrival of their son, Jordan was facing faced the prospect of dying and leaving star girlfriend Sophie a single mum.

Thankfully, the reality TV star went on to recover.

And when I chatted to Sophie and Jordan backstage at the UK Hair and Beauty Awards in Manchester, the pair beamed when they showed me snaps of their 10-month-old son.

However Sophie admitted that looking back on the final months of her pregnancy is difficult – and says the timing of Brody’s arrival was “bittersweet” following the “worst time ever”.

Sophie said: “It’s really hard talking about this without getting emotional but I think when I was seven months pregnant, obviously Jordan was going through the worst time of our lives.

“But also I was carrying the best thing in the world. So it was hard to balance that.

“I’d go home on my own sometimes and I’d try to register everything and then I’d sit in the baby room and be like, ‘so we’re having a baby but also the dad’s in hospital’.

“It was very very hard. But the thing that gave us strength was our little baby and that that made me stronger in a way.

“When I’d seen Jordan in hospital, he was always saying, ‘you’ve got to stay strong, you’re gonna be good and everything’s gonna be alright’.

“Listen if we didn’t have Brody, I don’t know what position I would have been in mentally.

“Absolutely he was the light at the end of the tunnel.”

But whilst Jordan made a recovery just in time for Brody’s arrival, he admits that his life-altering brain injury is still affecting him to this day and left his first few weeks of parenthood ‘strained’ as he struggled to help with some of the tasks to care for Brody.

Jordan revealed that he struggled to help with Brody’s night feeds as he was under strict instructions to get full rest following his ordeal.

It meant that Sophie was left doing the lion’s share by herself.

But Jordan has since been able to help more with the daily tasks of parenting and share the workload.

And he is keen to make up for lost time when it comes to being a dad.

He said: “Now it is amazing as we can really do it together and help each other out as I get stronger.

“If Soph’s got something on the next day I’ll do it. You have to work as a team.”

Despite all of the hardships and the uncertainty of Jordan’s health, the pair say they could not be happier now they have their bundle of joy.

Lighting up each time they speak about little Brody, you can’t help but feel happy for the pair – who have been incredibly honest about their struggles.

Sophie said to me: “Of course, there is a lot of sleepless nights but it is the most amazing thing that ever happened to me and Jordan.

“He is just honestly the happiest and healthiest adorable little baby ever.

“He’s a right mix of me and Jordan.

“Motherhood is hard and we do have very sleepless nights, but it’s everything we’ve ever wanted and we are so happy.”

Brody’s arrival came after the pair underwent specialist treatment in Greece which allowed them to conceive naturally.

Despite some being under the impression that they conceived as a result of IVF treatment, Sophie and Jordan are keen to set the record straight over any misconceptions.

Sophie revealed: “I had a baby at 35. That’s a story in itself and I am so proud to say it’s never too late.

“But we do want to be clear and put the record straight that we didn’t get IVF.

“As we have had struggles, a lot of people think we have, but we actually got treatment in Athens.

“This helped to answer questions we had and led us to conceiving Brody.

“And that was amazing.”