Aaron Chalmer’s ex Talia Oatway fears their three-year-old son Oakley could die after devastating new diagnosis

Talia Oatway, the former partner of Geordie Shore star Aaron Chalmers, has shared the terrifying truth no mother ever wants to face: doctors have warned her that their three-year-old son, Oakley, may be fighting for his life after a devastating new diagnosis.

The Geordie Shore star, 38, welcomed Oakley, three, with ex-partner Talia in 2022 and he was diagnosed with Apert Syndrome at birth

Aaron, 38, and Talia welcomed Oakley in 2022, and from the moment he was born, the little boy has faced more medical challenges than most adults do in a lifetime. He was diagnosed at birth with Apert Syndrome, a rare and severe condition where the bones of the skull, hands, and feet fuse prematurely. The NHS describes it as a complex craniosynostosis that affects essential parts of the body before a child even takes their first breath.

But last week, Talia received the news that shattered her world all over again:
Oakley now has life-threatening hydrocephalus — a dangerous build-up of fluid on the brain.

Now devastated Talia, who has claimed she solo parents their disabled son, was told by doctors last week that her little boy has life-threatening hydrocephalus

Just one year ago, after complications during skull surgery, the little boy slipped into a coma. What was expected to be a five-day stay in hospital turned into seven agonising weeks, during which Talia uprooted her life and slept at his bedside.

A year of emergencies — and heartbreak

Talia emotionally explained the ‘stress’ she is under as Oakley is non-verbal he is unable to tell her when he is feeling unwell

Talia explained that since that traumatic hospital stay, she has been living in a constant state of fear. Oakley has been under general anaesthetic 19 times, and because replacing parts of his skull was deemed too risky, he has spent the past year living with only half of it.

Not long after returning home from the coma, Talia sensed something was deeply wrong. Oakley began vomiting relentlessly — so violently that he regularly became dehydrated and required multiple trips to A&E. Doctors diagnosed him with cyclic vomiting syndrome, triggered after he developed meningitis during the previous year.

“He gets migraines… then he starts projectile vomiting. His little body just can’t cope,” Talia explained.

But even with medication, nothing improved. Doctors ordered an urgent CT scan — the moment everything changed. The results were devastating:
hydrocephalus, and signs of brain damage caused by last year’s meningitis. The scan also revealed that the reconstructed part of his forehead was being absorbed by his body.

Talia and Aaron had a whirlwind romance and welcomed three kids – Romeo, five, Maddox, four, and Oakley. She also has daughter Siennah, ten, from a previous relationship

Surgeons immediately fitted a shunt in Oakley’s brain to drain the dangerous fluid build-up. He is now being closely monitored to see how his fragile body responds.

“He can’t tell me when he’s in pain…”

The emotional toll on Talia — now a single mother of four — is enormous.
As Oakley is non-verbal, he cannot tell her when he feels pain, fear, or discomfort.

“The stress… it’s so heavy,” she said. “I have to watch every tiny sign. He can’t communicate when he’s unwell, and that terrifies me.”

Talia has repeatedly claimed she is raising Oakley alone, and although she avoids speaking publicly about Aaron, the strain of single-handedly managing a medically fragile child is evident.

A whirlwind romance, three children, and a heartbreaking end

Talia and Aaron began dating in 2017 and welcomed three children in quick succession:
• Romeo, 5
• Maddox, 4
• Oakley, 3
Talia also has a daughter, Siennah, 10, from a previous relationship.

But when Oakley was just three months old, Talia says the “pressure” of caring for a medically complex child became too much for Aaron, who decided to end their relationship. Since then, public disagreements occasionally surfaced — mostly initiated by Aaron — but Talia has rarely responded, choosing silence and stability for her children.

A mother’s fight — no matter the cost

Asked how she is coping with this relentless emotional and medical battle, Talia said she has no choice but to keep going:

“I have to make sure he’s cared for. I have to make sure he’s safe — always.”

She continues to praise the NHS for their ongoing support and reveals she is now seeing a psychologist weekly to help her manage the overwhelming stress of raising a medically fragile child.

Still, even with her world in turmoil, Talia refuses to allow herself to think about the worst-case scenario.

“I can’t go there. I have to stay strong for him.”

It is a mother’s love — fierce, loyal, and unbreakable — that keeps her fighting every single day.