Wrexham star Paul Mullin tears up over son’s diagnosis as he shares touching moment with Ryan Reynolds
The striker admitted that he “can’t go to bed without feeling guilty” as he opened up about his little boy
Wrexham hero Paul Mullin was left on the verge of tears as he revealed that he “can’t go to bed without feeling guilty” after his son Albi was diagnosed with autism.
The striker shared Albi’s diagnosis in January, telling his Twitter followers that it made his “happy and healthy boy… no different to anyone else”. He opened up about his home life further in the latest episode of Welcome to Wrexham, which explored the challenges that Mullin’s family had faced this year.
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“The first 12 months of Albi’s life he was hitting all the milestones,” the 28-year-old said. “He was walking at nine-and-a-half, 10 months, earlier than me. He was copying sounds, clapping his hands, singing songs and doing actions and everything was fine until 12 months.
“Then Albi started to regress. He stopped making eye contact with me and his mum and anyone, really. He didn’t copy. He didn’t try to make sounds anymore”.
While Mullin and his wife Mollie were able to get a diagnosis for Albi and put plans in place for when he goes to school, the Wrexham star admitted that he still goes to bed every night feeling guilty. He added that “football comes second” to him with Albi’s health and happiness “the most important thing” in his life.
“He’s a happy lad, enjoys every single day. Makes me smile,” he continued. “He doesn’t talk, he’s nonverbal, but he might as well talk because I know exactly everything he needs and when he needs it. He’s a joy. I wouldn’t change him for the world.”
“Sometime’s he’ll just turn around and say ‘Dada’ and that’s something I love to hear, it makes me cry every time to be honest with you,” Mullin added, as he issued a message to parents in the same situation. “If you’re going through a tough time with your partner and you feel you have to break up because you’re always at each other’s throats, because it is tough, believe me if you can stay for your child, it will only help them and benefit them.”
At this point, the striker became visibly emotional as the documentary crew asked if he wanted to take a break. Composing himself, Mullin soldiered on, adding: “I’m alright, it happens all the time anyway, I’m used to it now”.
Later in the episode, the former Morecambe striker shared a touching moment with the club’s co-owner Ryan Reynolds, as he showed the Hollywood star a video of Albi counting to 10, something which he had learned to do “out of the blue”.
