SHINING A LIGHT ON AUTISM

As a devoted mom of two sons who have the disorder, The Real Housewives of Gqeberha's Ashleigh is eager to share her story

- NOKUTHULA ZWANE-EJIKE

SHE thought long and hard about appearing on the show because it would mean being away from her children for hours on end. But ultimately her kids are the very reason she decided to go for it.

Being on The Real Housewives of Gqeberha (RHOGQ) gave Ashleigh Mather a chance to shine a light on raising children with autism and to talk about her experiences and challenges. 

But filming the show was a challenge in itself, she tells YOU. “Things were a little chaotic and routines went out the window. Obviously, the kids would get upset on certain days. 

“But [now that filming is over] it’s nice to just get back to my normal routines and enjoy my free time with them again.” 

Ashleigh appears on the show with a pack of formidable women. There’s Buli G Ngomane, her bestie and a former Idols SA contestant, events planner Norma Nicol, salon owner Unathi Faku and construction boss Liz Prins. 

What sets the 32-year-old apart from her castmates is that she’s a stay-at-home mom and devotes her time to eight-yearold Aryan William and four-year-old Phoenix Charles-Duncan.  

“I had a lot of mom guilt because I’d have to wake up super early or come back home late while the show was being filmed,” she says. “I’d never left my kids before. It was hard because kids with autism thrive off routine and theirs was thrown off a lot. I felt bad.” 

Ashleigh also had quite a tough time on the show. She was introduced as a bubbly, free-spirited young mom, but it wasn’t long before the claws came out. In the first few episodes her castmates criticised her for being too carefree, drinking like a fish and being childish.