Race Across the World's Harrison apologises to sister Katie for 'laughing on the Xbox' while she called an ambulance for their sick mum
Katie says she couldn't stop cryingRace Across the World‘s Harrison has issued a heartfelt apology to his sister Katie after failing to step up when their mum was sick.
The pair were teenagers when their mother fell ill but Katie ended up picking up most of the pieces.
In tonight’s episode of the BBC show, Harrison and Katie discuss that period in their lives while working together in Mongolia.
Katie, 21, recalls a day when she had to call an ambulance because their mum was “screaming out in pain”.
She says she found 23-year-old Harrison “laughing on his Xbox”.
Race Across the World’s Harrison apologises to Katie
Tonight, the teams have to travel 1,550km from Ugll to Kharkhorin in Mongolia. The siblings take a job shovelling coal to make some extra money.
Harrison says to Katie: “You’re good at helping people out when they need help. You were really good with mum with the emotional support.
“I was too focused on what I wanted to do. I just wanted to say thank you for being there.”
He adds: “On the race, as I’ve heard more and more about how you were there, I feel guilty that I wasn’t there.”
Katie tells him not to feel guilty: “I really appreciate you saying that. I don’t know if I felt angry towards you but I do have very specific memories,” she admits.
“One was when an ambulance came to the house and mum was screaming out in pain. I came into your room and tried to tell you and you were like, ‘Well, there’s nothing I can do’. Then I could hear you laughing on the Xbox.
“I remember just crying my eyes out and felt like why is this affecting me and not him. How is he okay about it all?”
Harrison also remembers that day – and says he regrets sitting in his room. But he explains: “At the time, I didn’t know how to deal with that so probably didn’t deal with it.”
Harrison adds: “I’m sorry to you and sorry to mum.”
Katie says Harrison recognising what she did is “healing”. He also told her he’s a changed person and someone she and their mum can now rely on.
Race Across the World: What happened to Katie and Harrison’s mum?
Katie and Harrison first spoke about their mum’s health while picking tea leaves as they travelled from Turkey to Georgia.
They explained how they have been caring for her for the last 10 years, on and off. She fell ill following the separation from her husband, who is the siblings’ dad.
Their mother was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Symptoms include pain, stiffness in the muscles, low mood and fatigue. She was then diagnosed with a slipped disc in her back.
Chatting to her brother in the tea fields, Katie admitted she had been desperate to go travelling after leaving school. But caring for their ill mother meant she wasn’t able to leave her.
“Mum was at her worst then,” she recalled. “I just couldn’t leave mum for an extended period of time. I would want to go in case anything bad happened.
“It was washing and cooking… on the really bad days it would be helping to dress her. It was a time of a lot of hospital visits, appointments, emergency visits.”
Speaking to the camera, Harrison sadly admitted: “There is nothing you can do if she’s screaming out in pain apart from hold her hand.”
He also said he felt under a lot of pressure to push doctors and medical professionals for answers, despite only being a teenager.
Back in the field, Katie said: “The bit that took a toll on me was just constantly seeing her in pain. That just broke me. And there’s nothing you or anyone else can do.”
Harrison admitted he took more of a “practical” role, while Katie took on the emotional burden, even though she is younger.
Chatting alone to the camera, Harrison said he felt “guilty” about how much his sister cared for their mum. He added: “Looking back, I wanted to spend every hour of the day on the Xbox or with my mates playing football.
“I think I was a bit selfish by prioritising what I wanted to do. I feel guilty that I didn’t take as much as the emotional weight as Katie did.”
Katie had vowed to talk more to Harrison as the race progressed. She is relieved to have now finally done that.
Read more: Race Across the World’s Kush comforted by best friend Jo after anxiety attack
