BLINDED AS I FED MY BABY

Michelle was feeding her baby girl when the unthinkable happened Michelle Fox, 42

- STACEY HICKS

Scooping up my baby, three-month-old Malana, I lay down on my bed S to feed her.

Along with my eldest, Jory, five, we'd spent a busy day shopping with my friend Becky, and her daughters, Stephanie, then seven, and Ivy, six months.

Getting home around 5.30pm, we were greeted by my ex-husband, Mariusz.

We'd divorced a few months earlier, but were living together for the sake of the kids until one of us found another place.

As I fed Malana, Mariusz stood in the doorway showing Becky and me the new shotgun he'd bought.

It wasn't unusual to own them in our rural area, and he liked to go hunting. Then Mariusz lifted an older gun he owned to compare the two.

I'm glad that's not loaded,' I began to joke.

But before I could finish my sentence, a loud bang erupted. Suddenly, everything went black.

My mind spun and I had no idea what had just hit me.

Have I been shot? I had.

I don't even remember putting Malana down.

Becky snapped into action, calling emergency services before lifting up Malana from the bed and ushering the kids into the bathroom, away from the horror.

'Put this towel on your face,' Becky told me.

The second I pushed it onto the wound, agonising pain set in. As I moaned and dropped to the floor, Mariusz started to panic.

But I couldn't focus on him. I needed to stay alive for my babies.

'We don't think she's going to make it,' police told Becky, as paramedics assessed my wounds.