Pick Me Up! 30-Aug-2018

Ever since I found out I was pregnant 24 years ago, I couldn’t wait to meet my baby girl. My first born, she was the cutest thing. A smiley face with bright blue eyes and a shock of brown hair. ‘Hey, little one,’ I’d coo, rocking her in my arms. As she turned into a toddler, I realised she was the boss in our house! She always knew how to take the lead in anything. And that came in helpful when in 2002... ‘I’ve been diagnosed with dystonia,’ I told her. A neurological disorder it causes your muscles to spasm. I had to give up work. ‘It’s alright, Mum,’ she said. Soon I wasn’t able to lift my arms above my head. Washing and brushing my hair became impossible. Thankfully…

While I was volunteering in rural Cambodia, I received my first-ever motorbike lesson. From the look on my face you can see just how much fun I was having (not!) Josie Gallop, Salisbury Me and my hubby visited the Angel of the North for our 1-year wedding anniversary. But he tells me that I'm the real angel of the north – bless him… Samantha Mckibbens, Glasgow At a local superhero charity day, Penny got to dress up as her favourite character. But even without her costume, she’s my princess. Cat Barclay, Falkirk There’s nothing better to help you unwind than a long soak in the hot tub with your fave magazine. Now… relax… Karen Wells, Gravesend I think that Jessica was being hunted when we bumped into these guys on…

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Stopping in my tracks in the freezer aisle of the supermarket, a chill swept over me. But it wasn’t the cold air that had sent a shiver down my spine. It was the whiff of a familiar Hugo Boss aftershave. The smell took me back to when I’d met mechanic Nick, then 20, in November 2002. Though I was just 16, we’d quickly become inseparable. Nick was a charmer. Even asked my dad’s permission before proposing with a diamond ring in May 2003. Nick spoilt me rotten. But I soon learnt he always wanted something in return. ‘I bought your phone,’ he hissed, ‘so I decide whose numbers you have.’ Nick stopped me seeing friends, hated me working as a waitress. As far as Nick was concerned, I was his…

Chloe, 23, from London (left), told Pick Me Up! , ‘When I first met Nick, I was just 16, and he repeatedly abused and raped me. But I was too scared to tell Louise the truth at first. When she reported Nick to the police, it gave me the courage to do the same. Being in court was really hard at times, but having Louise by my side made it bearable. And when Nick was sent down, it was a massive relief to know he was gone from our lives and would pay for what he did.’…

Seeing my partner Lisa running round the garden with our kids felt bittersweet. It was usually me playing football with Kian, 12, chasing Asia, 6, or on the trampoline with Summer, 9. A gym bunny, who always ate healthily, I was never ill. But for the last few weeks, since February 2013, I’d felt grim. Doctors told me my achy limbs and lack of energy were a viral infection, one even mentioned depression. I wasn’t depressed. Just frustrated. Instinct told me there was something more. I just wanted to know what. Over those next months, my weight plummeted. I could barely walk a few steps without feeling totally exhausted. In April 2013, I took Lisa, 28, to see Bon Jovi at Cardiff City Stadium. But as we drove home that…