Emily Simpson’s son Luke has had a lot of health problems on RHOC, here’s what’s happened
She just gave a very hopeful update
This article contains themes of eating disorders.
Emily Simpson has been open about her son Luke and his issues with his health over the years on RHOC, but where does he stand with everything now? Let’s look through everything he’s been through since last year and how he’s doing now.
Emily first opened up about Luke’s struggles during the Season 19 premiere of RHOC in July 2025, revealing that her then-10-year-old son and his twin brother, Keller, were “very tiny for their age,” and that Luke had gone from a happy, gifted fourth grader to a child who’d stopped eating almost entirely, subsisting on little more than a bowl of rice most nights.
Later on in the RHOC season, Luke was diagnosed with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), alongside a growing list of other conditions, including OCD, ADHD, dyslexia, and a learning disability that Emily said she hadn’t caught until he was already in fourth grade unable to read. He was also tested for autism spectrum disorder.
She later shared on her Instagram story: “Just to clarify: Luke can read, he’s just not reading at his grade level, and he’s struggling with word comprehension etc. He was also recently diagnosed as dyslexic. I was not aware that he was struggling and behind. He is now attending a new school, and he’s loving it.”
Emily Simpson also revealed during the reunion that RHOC viewers who were concerned about her son had urged her to get Luke tested for PANDAS as it could be the cause of his health issues. He was then diagnosed with PANDAS, with the condition linked to strep infections that can cause brain swelling and sudden behavioral regression in children.
He was then put on a treatment plan that included medication and a laser treatment aimed at reducing swelling in his brain, five sessions of three hours each. Whilst the laser treatment hasn’t been the most effective, he’s since moved schools which has massively helped his behaviour.
Emily shared more with E! News, saying that he’s now “thriving” in his new school and that she and Shane have made real adjustments at home to support his anxiety, ADHD, and OCD.
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