Pick Me Up! 19-May-2022

Settling back to life in the UK, I tried to return to a normal lifestyle. Only, being in the military for 15 years, things were harder than I thought they would be. It was 2018 and I was at an all-time low. Suffering with PTSD, the only thing that kept me going was the thought of my two girls Jessica, three, and Georgia, five, not having me around. Needing something to keep me occupied, I started writing an autobiography with the help of a ghost writer, Richard, and my wife, Gemma. This is when I met 13-year-old Angie, Richard’s daughter. She suffers with H-ABC, a genetic brain disease that sadly has no available treatment here in the UK. Even though there are treatment trials available in the US, it was…

Good deed of the week You can pick up all sorts of hidden gems at charity shops – and this month, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) is giving you an extra incentive to rummage through the rails. They’ve launched their Reuse Revolution challenge, to inspire people to shop, upcycle and donate preloved pieces throughout May – and maybe even win a prize to boot! You can bag four stylish second-hand home pieces from BHF’s campaign photoshoot – a bronze, double-headed table lamp, an industrial style wooden trolley, a leather handled round mirror and an Art Deco orange chair with wooden legs. The competition is open now, and closes on 31 May. Simply enter your email address on the website! Save cash, refresh your home and wardrobe, help the BHF charity…

Lucy is gorgeous and a big part of our family! Look at those eyes. She is now eight and loves to cuddle. She’s so well behaved, too! Dawn Humphrey, Scarborough. This is my husband posing next to the Terminator on our trip to America. It was quite intimidating how big it was! Amanda Hadley, Cradley Heath. Look at these cuties fighting over the dog blanket. They are besties! Alexandra Low, Halesowen. This is Valentina, three, and Bianca, one, at the play centre. When Valentina grows up, she wants to be a doctor. Her little sister is a passionate patient. Maria Van Raalte, Norfolk. Whilst on holiday in Spain, instead of relaxing, I was in search of tree mendous trunks and tree roots! David Anderson, Sunderland. If your letter makes Star…

Scrolling through my Facebook timeline, a new notification popped up. Clicking on the banner, a friend request gleamed on the page. Ross Stubbs wants to add you as a friend. With dark brown hair and an attractive face, I clicked accept without hesitation. I had no idea who he was, where he was from, or how he had found me, but it was meant to be. He was gorgeous! And suddenly, a boring day on 20 September 2019, got a lot more interesting. You look so pretty in your profile picture, he gushed, with a string of compliments following not long after. I couldn’t help but blush, butterflies in my stomach rising with each message. You’re not too bad looking yourself, I joked. Instantly, we had an amazing connection. I…

Huffing and puffing, Ross would get angry at me over pointless things. ‘Look what you’ve made me do now,’ he screamed, slamming his phone on the sofa after losing a poker game. And no matter what we argued about, somehow everything was my fault. One day, after an explosive row, Ross forcefully pushed me into a lamppost, trapping my body tight against the metal. ‘Get off me, Ross, you’re hurting,’ I cried, not recognising the man stood in front of me. With his smile, Ross knew exactly how to win me over and we would resolve our issues just as quickly as they started. I accepted his apology and carried on as normal – I loved him after all. Then, in December 2019, our dreams of starting a family happily…

Breathing in the warm summer air, I felt on top of the world. Grabbing onto my husband’s hand, I dreamed about our future. I wond I wonder if this time next year we’ll have a little one with us for our walking adventures? I thought to myself. Walking around the Lake District, we often went on hiking holidays. We always dreamed of having a child who would share our love of being in nature. But we decided to save up to buy a family home before trying for a baby. Then in August 2018, after two years of saving, we finally moved into our home. To our delight, just two months after moving in, we were pregnant. And when we found out we were having a girl, at our 16…