Turning to look at myself in the mirror, I could hardly believe it was my own reflection. Wearing a satin ivory gown with a lace bodice, I felt like a princess. ‘This is the one,’ I said to my mum with a smile.
It was December 2021, and I’d just picked out my wedding dress. ‘I can’t believe I’m getting married,’ I squealed as Mum wiped a tear from her eye.
For me, it was exciting, but for her, it truly was unbelievable. You see, this was a moment she had been told would never, ever happen.
When I was born in June 1989, my mum Sally, then 32, and dad Lawrence, 38, knew something wasn’t right. Mum was a nursery nurse so she noticed I wasn’t meeting milestones. They fought for answers and, after a year of speaking to specialists, I was finally diagnosed with cerebral palsy.
Doctors told my parents I would never learn to walk, talk or sit up, and I had no chance of leading a normal life. As far as they were concerned, there was no hope. But Mum and Dad refused to give up.
For two years, Mum performed physiotherapy on me at home before discovering a charity called Brainwave, which helps children with neurological disorders.
The charity takes the approach that most of us only use around 10 per cent of our brains, and they’d developed exercises to encourage other parts to start functioning.
Mum practised simple activities with me, like picking up shapes over and over again, and by the time I was three, I’d taken my first steps. It was a huge breakthrough, and slowly I learnt to walk and talk, already defying the odds.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 25, 2022 من WOMAN'S OWN.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة July 25, 2022 من WOMAN'S OWN.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Model Emily Ratajkowski has had hers turned into 'divorce rings' after her split. We ask...
Would you still wear your rings after a divorce?
5 REASONS TO join in the fun at
Online bingo has been one of the UK's favourite pastimes for years - and here's why
ΜΟΝΕΥ matters
Our expert Rebecca Gamble helps make your cash go further
DO THE LEAST TO FEEL YOUR BEST
Want to find your spark again, but lacking motivation? These simple tips can help you to look and feel healthier
A SPICY FEUD
As Mel B admits she's been thrown out of the Spice Girls WhatsApp group, could we be waving Goodbye to a reunion?
I'M PROOF BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN
For Stacie Swift, 38, the key to her confidence lies in her locks
THE RISE OF MIDLIFE LONELINESS
It’s an age when a lot of us feel our most content, but for others, it’s our loneliest era. Woman's Own investigates...
SINGLE MUM SUCCESS
Being a solo parent isn’t easy but these mums were determined to make their kids proud
CRUISE THE FRENCH RIVIERA
Enjoy the glamour of an all-inclusive trip on a Club Med schooner
CIAO BELLA!
Feast like an Italian with these thrifty family favourites