Table Of ContentOOnnee iinn aa Contents
On the cover
6 My soulmate had to die
before our girl could walk
MMIILLLLIIOONN!! 10 A car drove into our living
room!
20 Why I put on makeup
with my feet
22 Save 20% on fragrances!
24 Our baby wore a ring as a
bracelet
the poem on Facebook, in 42 He buried his bride in the
This week we’re the hopes it would bring
garden but where was
comfort to other families
admiring the
across the UK. her head?
selfless work of A way in which they
50 I’ve saved 950 lives and
could explain to their own
Abigail Horne, 35,
counting
children what was going
from Stoke. on in the world.
More real life
Overnight my
She said…
notifications started
17 Hard to swallow
going crazy.
B Thousands of people 28 Dear Penpal
ouncing my knee up
had shared my work on
and down, I propped 32 Kicking back
social media – it was hard
a book on my leg.
With my daughter to keep track. From you
And then I realised
Polly, three, pointing at the
something incredible. 3 One in a million
pictures and my 18-month- I love reading
My poem had been
old son, Bobby, happy to Polly 12 Your brainwaves
translated into Ukrainian
gurgling along, it was a usual
and attached to a range of 15 Your dilemmas
home setting.
cuddly toys that would be
Teddy bears scattered all
Feelgood
shelter and roaming the war- making their way to evacuation
over the house.
torn streets looking for help. points in Poland.
NS Only, after putting my babies Taking a moment to digest Reaching out, I wanted to 4 Your pick me ups
W to bed and turning on the TV,
S what I was seeing I asked help with this project. 9 Your home
S: the scenes on the news broke
TO my heart. myself a question. So, I started to direct others 16 Your health
O How would I let my kids to donate their teddies to
H Witnessing innocent
P know what was happening if we charities such as Bears for 23 Animal magic
Y. children, some the same age as
EL my own, in Ukraine, alone and were in this situation? Ukraine and The Teddy Trust. 26 Your style
E
S Being a writer, the natural Since the beginning of
S needing to flee their home. 35 Father’s day gift guide
AÏ Clutching onto a teddy bear answer for me was to write it all March, we have donated over
N
A as a story. 3,000 bears for those in need. 36 Best day ever
Y or soft toy for hope.
B A child merely going on a I’m looking to write more
S And as more footage played, 38 Genius or bonkers?
D new adventure. poems to explain difficult
R there were more and more
O So, taking pen to paper, I situations to children, with my 39 Look amazing
W children in desperate need.
Sleeping in an underground wrote a poem that evening focus on global events as well as 40 Easy eats
titled War Teddies. current news.
46 Solve it in 6
JUST FOR Writing a poem for children I never expected War
FUN
Bitesize! in the words of their teddy. Teddies to get as far as it did, 49 Your stars
Sleeping on your blow-up but I’m just so grateful that my
bed, I’ll be with you, your best words have been able to give Editor: Gail Shortland
1 2 3 4 friend, Ted. hope in such a scary time. Features Editor: Hannah Poon
After reading it aloud and (cid:122) To read the poem visit: Feature Writers: Hannah Crocker,
making any final edits, I posted authorsandco.pub/war-teddies Anaïs Seely, Becky Toogood
5
Senior Designer: Stacey Black
SSnneeaakkyy ppeeeekk Designer: Georgia Macmenemey
Junior Designer: Mary Heenan
6
aatt tthhiiss wweeeekk!!
P50 Bag
7
a bargain!
ACROSS
1 Long steady stride (4)
5 Nautical cry (4)
6 Chianti, say (4)
7 Signals agreement (4)
DOWN
1 Area of cut grass (4)
2 U.S. state (4)
3 Pool of still water (4) P26 Embrace
4 Viewing organs (4)
your curves!
Read down the shaded
squares for the answer. P39 Say it loud
Answer on page 47. and proud!
3
mme ups
YYoouurr ppiicckk
HAVE YOU HEARD?
BBC Gardeners’ World Live and BBC
Good Food Show Summer will return to
Birmingham’s NEC this month!
For four fabulous days, this event is
packed with the latest garden ideas, plants,
products and trends, alongside inspirational
tips, advice and a host of famous faces.
With stunning show gardens, the country’s
largest Floral Marquee and specialist
nurseries and growers, you can immerse
yourself in the sweet scent of summer with
Gardeners’ World Live.
Plus, the BBC Good Food Show Summer
will see the likes of James Martin, Dame
Mary Berry and Nadiya Hussain, as well as a
selection of producers and brands.
(cid:122) Takes place between 16 and 19 June. Prices
from £26.
(cid:122) www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com
Over 40
varieties of
delicious
ice cream
GET IN TOUCH
Send us your stories and
photos, including all names and
FUN DAYS OUT
ages, a daytime phone number
and full address.
Sunshine-filled days mean one thing – ice cream! If you’re looking
E-mail [email protected]
for a family orientated, summery day out, then head to the Kent
Life Heritage Farm Park Ice Cream Festival this July.
WRITE TO Pick Me Up! Media Centre,
Make sure you’ve got plenty of room for all those yummy ice cream
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samples, with over 40 delicious varieties to try and buy.
Bristol, BS34 7JU
A visit to the topping station is a must to smother your ice cream in
PHONE 01174400607 syrups, marshmallows and sprinkles.
It’s gelato heaven!
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Future Publishing Limited reserves the right to reuse any submission (cid:122) Tickets from £12
sent to Pick Me Up! magazine, in any format or medium.
(cid:122) www.kentlife.org.uk
Unfortunately, we can’t return photos without a stamped sae.
Letters/photos must not be sent to any other publication.
4
mmee uuppss
Your pick
I caught my husband
Ant smooching
another woman – on
our honeymoon! How
dare he! Sian Salsbury,
Cradley Heath.
BUY OF THE WEEK
How often do you doubt yourself? Probably
more often than you’d like to admit.
Three quarters of young people in the UK Family fun! My gorgeous
have admitted to experiencing daily doubts. So nephew Tristan, three, and
Cadbury have partnered with The Prince’s Trust to
I having fun at our local
launch a new campaign with footballing legends,
farm. He is our little ray of
to encourage the nation to share the load.
sunshine!
Ease the burden over a bar of choccy, and start
to overcome those feelings of uncertainty. Melissa Shackleton, Stockport.
(cid:122) Cadbury Dairy Milk ‘Give a Doubt’ bar, £4.23,
Tesco
(cid:122) www.giveadoubt.cadbury.co.uk
STAR
LETTER
Shell-sational. Our
tortoise Georgie has
awfully big lips! Mrs
Gibli, Penarth.
GOOD DEED OF THE WEEK
dd!!
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aa
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SS
Self-care scare! Our Sue loves
pampering herself, imagine
waking up to this in the morning!
Patricia Cordon, Cheltenham.
You’ve got your bulbs, flowers and trowel at the
My son Alfie, five, just
ready – but what about your soil? Well thanks to
Miracle-Gro Premium Compost you can happily plant loved the hotel pool in
your garden favourites ready for them to bloom! Skiathos! Carol Cassan,
Special edition packs have launched in garden Tiverton.
centres in aid of Greenfingers, a national charity
dedicated to supporting life-limited children and their
families who spend time in hospices over the UK.
The pack aims to raise awareness of the charity and
assist in the incredible work they do for families in If your letter makes Star Letter of the week, you
need. By buying a pack, you can know you are helping will receive some beautiful blooms from Flying
the environment and worthy individuals. Flowers. With over 30 years’ experience of
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Flying Flowers is a lovely way to celebrate
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sharing smiles and happiness. See
flyingflowers.co.uk for more details.
5
WWHHAATT’’SS WWRONG
L
ooking over at my
girlfriend Catherine
having the time of
her life, I grinned
like a lovesick teen.
forW loen hga, bdunt’t I b weaens sdmatiitntegn . WWIITTHH MMYY BABY?
‘Come on,’ she grinned.
‘Dance with me!’
‘I don’t dance,’ I laughed.
But when Cat flashed me
her bright blue eyes at me, I
was mesmerised.
She could always get
away with anything, and
I’d do anything she wanted.
The sun was shining at T
in the Park, and we boogied
the night away.
It wasn’t long before we
moved in together – I
already had an older
daughter, Shannon, and
Cat had two children from a
previous relationship, too –
and we all moved into a big
five-bedroom house.
When Cat fell pregnant
in March 2015, it was a
shock for us.
We had a lot going on,
and when Cat was pregnant
with her youngest she’d had
a placenta abruption, so she
was scared.
‘What if something goes
wrong?’ she said. ‘I can’t risk
S
N it, the kids need me.’
W
S So together, we agreed to
OS: terminate the pregnancy.
OT We went to the hospital William Green, 36, from Bathgate in
H
P for the appointment, and as
ER. we sat in the waiting room, West Lothian, Scotland, is determined to
K
C Cat turned to me.
CRO ‘I can’t do this,’ she said. do everything he can for his little girl Ella.
H ‘I’m so glad you said that,’
A
N I replied. ‘I can’t, either.’
N
A As we got our heads
H
D around the pregnancy, we
N both started to get excited. neither of us could wipe the looked at my phone, I saw I had four weeks early,
A
N We went for appointments grins off of our faces. 45 missed calls from Cat. weighing just 4lbs 5oz, and it
O
S and scans, and it started to ‘Look at her sitting there, My phone had been on silent. was touch and go.
P
M
seem very real. with her wee legs crossed,’ Cat What the hell? I thought, She’d been whisked straight
SI
H At a gender scan, we waited laughed, when we got the scan starting to panic. to the special care baby unit the
A
N anxiously to find out the sex. picture of our little one. I called straight back, and minute she was born – before
N
A ‘I can’t be sure, because of When we told the kids they Cat answered. Cat had even had a chance to
H
Y the way it’s sitting,’ the were going to have a baby ‘What’s going on?’ I said. hold her.
B
S sonographer said. ‘But I think sister, they were all so excited. ‘You need to come to the She’d been born with
D
R you’re having a girl.’ Thankfully, aside from a hospital, now,’ she replied. deformed limbs, and doctors
O
W I took Cat’s hand, and stubborn little tyke who By the time I got to St John’s told us she had a 50/50 chance
refused to uncross her legs, Hospital in Howden, of survival.
Cat’s pregnancy went was Livingston, with Shannon, Cat It was a lot to take in.
smooth sailing. had already had an emergency But our girl was a trooper –
Cat was a natural mum, C-section and our little girl had just like her mum.
and we couldn’t wait for our been born. We named her Arabella.
newest arrival. It turned our Cat had had a It means graceful and ‘to
But Cat wanted to move placental abruption, like before pray for’, but it’s also the name
back to Broxburn in West – a serious condition where the of one of our favourite Arctic
Lothian, Scotland, to be placenta separates from the Monkeys songs – one we’d seen
closer to her sisters. wall of the uterus before a baby them play live at T in the Park,
Shannon and I were living is delivered. when we were first dating.
separately, but we saw each She’d lost 2.5 pints of blood, It was perfect for her.
other all the time while we and almost died. Doctors told us Arabella had
looked for a new place to live. ‘I’m so sorry,’ I said, rushing been born with crossed legs.
Cat never On 2 December 2015, I to Cat’s side as a nurse showed ‘We just thought she’d been
stopped fighting was woken up by my usual me in. ‘I’m so proud of you.’ sitting funny in the womb,’ I
6.30am alarm – but when I Our daughter had been born said, struggling to comprehend
6
WHAT’S
surgery would enable Ella to
walk unaided.
But it would cost $125,000.
‘This man has had success
after success,’ Cat told me
excitedly. ‘Ella’s a bit older
WITH M than the other children he’s
performed it on, but it’s going
to be her lifeline.’
Her enthusiasm was
infectious, and we started
dreaming of all the things Ella
might be able to do one day.
Her condition had left her
unable to walk, crawl, stand or
even feed herself
independently, as it affected all
of her limbs.
We hoped that one day she’d
be able to play in the school
playground with her friends,
enjoy sports and walk down
the aisle at her wedding.
Cat never gave up fighting
for Ella, and we paid £1,000 to
take Ella for a consultation
with Dr Feldman in Poland.
‘He said he can fix her,’ Cat
said excitedly when they came
back home.
We hoped we’d be able to get
the surgery on the NHS – so a
few weeks later, Cat took Dr
Feldman’s reports to two
hospitals in Scotland.
But both dismissed the
surgery all together.
She was her ‘This would be impossible to
whole world perform,’ one doctor said.
‘Your daughter will be in a
wheelchair for life.’
All our hopes had been
and try my best
dashed. The news shattered
C AT D OT E D O N ELL A twoe Oceokvme, Arf otrhrateb h neelelrax.t shhaHed w ehrae frse f1ei4rt s wmt eoorpneet brharsot iokolendn,. E, alnlad Ctoaotk, a an dde hvaesrt mateinngta bl lhoewa.lth
She started to convince
underwent a then straightened out every
herself that Ella would never
series of two weeks.
get better.
different It was traumatic for all of us.
She stopped sleeping,
neurological Cat poured all her focus into
staying up all night to talk to
tests on her brain. finding out about potential
parents in America with
what it meant. She had more scans and was treatments for Ella.
children like Ella.
It had never occurred to us, assessed by doctors from She would stay up all night,
She was desperate for a
or any of the sonographers or America, which eventually talking to mums in the US
solution, and she felt so
midwives, that there was revealed our precious little girl whose children were going
helpless. It tormented her.
anything sinister about it. had arthrogryposis – a rare through the same ordeal.
I knew she was struggling
Despite 15 different scans, condition which limits She still had PTSD from
with it all, and I wanted to be
doctors still couldn’t determine her movement. Ella’s birth, and her
there for her.
exactly what was wrong with The news totally The news mental health was
In January last year, we
Arabella, though. shattered both of us. going downhill.
shattered rekindled our relationship.
Cat and I were both in But we were I wanted to help
We had a long road ahead of
hysterics, and we just didn’t determined to do both of us Ella just as much as
us, but things were going OK.
know what to do or even say to everything we could Cat did.
and it was One night, as I was drifting
one another. for Arabella, who But trying to deal
off to sleep, I checked my
It wasn’t until Arabella was we affectionately traumatic with it all and hold it
phone one last time before
12 hours old that we were nicknamed Ella. together ended up
nodding off.
finally allowed to see her. Three days before putting a huge
Love you, Cat wrote.
She was a beautiful little Christmas, we were finally able strain on our relationship.
The next morning, I didn’t
bairn, with a full head of thick to bring her home. When Ella was two, Cat and
hear from Cat at all, which was
black hair. We were so happy, and we I split up – but we remained
unusual for her.
It broke my heart to see the tried our best to settle into close, co-parenting Ella and
I went to work, thinking
feeding tubes in her nose and family life as we moved back in working together to give her
she’d had a lie in or was busy.
the life support machine together, as a family. what she needed.
But I started to get worried.
attached to her. Both Cat and I devoted Eventually, Cat discovered a
‘What’s wrong with my ourselves to fighting for Ella treatment with a US doctor
baby?’ Cat sobbed. and to find her the best called David Feldman, in TURN PAGE FOR MORE
All I could do was hold her treatment possible, and when Poland – his life-changing
7
RREEAALL LLIIFFEE
TTRRAAGGIICC
CONTINUED FROM P7
towards her surgery.’
I fell to my knees.
‘You’re kidding me,’
I said breathlessly.
‘From the bottom of
my heart, thank you.’
A couple of weeks
later, in October last
year, Ella and I boarded
a flight to Poland.
That same week, the
American doctor, Dr
David Feldman,
performed his
miraculous surgery.
‘The operation has
been a success,’ he told
me after, as I sat praying.
‘I can’t thank you
enough,’ I replied.
‘You’ve completely
changed our lives.’
We both miss
Ella had to undergo a
Cat so much I’m proud of how
further 12 weeks of
WWIITTHH TTHHfarEE Ella’s come painful rehab, but
through it all, my little
fighter never gave up.
In December, Ella took
her very first steps in
hospital and each day, she
continued to gain more and
GG EE LL SS more confidence.
NN
AA
Finally, in January this
year, she walked into her
grandfather’s house for the
very first time.
Surrounded by family,
Ella’s face lit up as we all
cheered when she walked
across the living room.
‘That’s my girl,’ I said as I
crouched at the other end of
the room and welcomed her
with open arms.
I’m so proud of how far my
little girl has come.
W
at bake sales, packed bags at
hen I got struggling with everything. And I know her mum would
Morrisons and even appeared
home that But I really thought she was be as well.
on an ITV documentary, which
afternoon, I getting better. She misses her mum every
all helped to raise £30,000.
sent her a I thought I was helping her. day, and it breaks my heart
One morning, I was buying
quick text. But Cat couldn’t bear the fact that Cat died before she got to
supplies for work at an
Is everything OK? Shall I that she couldn’t help Ella, and see Ella’s surgery happen.
electrical wholesaler when my
come round? in the end, it was all too much ‘Why did Mummy leave
S phone rang.
N When my phone rang, I for her to cope with. me?’ Ella asks, and it kills me
W ‘Is this William Green?’ the
S assumed it was Cat. She’d done everything she that she’s hurting.
OS: But it was her ex. could to try and get treatment fri‘eInt idsl,y’ I v roeipceli eadsk.ed. ‘God needed an angel, and he
OT ‘I’m so sorry...’ he began, for Ella, and ultimately, she asked for her,’ I tell her.
‘My husband and I are
PH and I knew sacrificed her life. It’s hard, raising Ella by
R. straight away A gut- It only spurred me retired anaesthetists and we’ve myself, but I always try and
E been following Arabella’s story
CK something wrenching on to finish what she think about what Cat would
O over the past few weeks,’ the
R terrible had had started. do, and I have a lot of amazing
H C happened. ‘But scream I refused to let Cat’s lady said. ‘It broke our hearts, family who help me out.
NA Cat’s gone.’ left my death be in vain. and we want to donate £50,000 Ella’s doing so well – she’s six
AN I felt my knees ‘Mummy had to go now, and she really is such a
D H hit the ground mouth to the angels,’ I told little character.
N and I heard a Ella. ‘But I’m going to She’s started at school and
A
N gut-wrenching do everything I can to made loads of friends, and she
O
S scream leave my mouth. make your life better.’ loves swimming, too.
P
M I was heartbroken. That same day, I wrote to None of it would have been
H SI Just two days earlier, we’d every sports personality and possible without the surgery.
NA been celebrating Mother’s media station I could think of. It’s thanks to Cat that we’ve
AN Day together, smiling and I told them about Ella’s got this far, and we’ll do
Y H laughing and having fun. story and asked for money everything we can to make her
S B Now, my beautiful Cat had towards her surgery. proud every day.
RD taken her own life. We hosted rugby matches, (cid:122) Please visit: Facebook – Ella’s
O
W I knew she’d been ran countless miles, sold cakes Fight to Walk
Her death won’t
8 be in vain
J U S T F O R
N Follow it!
U
F Solve the puzzle to
spell out a term related
to the picture. The
arrows show you where
to put your answers.
The answer is spelled
in the yellow squares.
Answers on page 47.
Sound of _
_ Lenska,
knocking Slimming Group of Mend with Soundsys-
(cid:32) Corrie Bill of fare
on a door plan three stitches tem, US
actor
(3-1-3-3) rock band
_ Dobson,
classic
(cid:116) Instigates
EastEnders
actor
At the
Make a Informa- _ Reed, Yes, infor-
crease, in Entreaty
mistake tion musician mally
cricket
Store or
reserve
for future
use (3,2)
Ayn _, Opening
Signal Guessing Married
Atlas into a Golfer’s
agree- game woman’s Requires
Shrugged building target
ment (1-3) title
author or room
Be in
Refuse D Cruel or
earnest Toy (2-2)
to obey brutal
(4,8)
Body
Sounds a O American
of Zulu
horn ostrich
warriors
Scottish
O Need to
Solely Surpass Heaps male
scratch
name
High _ Amin,
Female Poetic R
explosive Ugandan
relative device
(inits.) dictator
Being The
Animal’s pulled by O N T O W Ride Specials’
See photo
coat a vehicle waves music
(2,3) genre
Appoint Possibility
Piece of Words of a A
to a job or Stretch of trouble
body art song
task or danger
_ Aviv, Expres- Sugary
Robbery Y Ordinal
Israeli sion of coating
at sea number
city disgust for cakes
Biblical Simon _, _ Robin-
Precipita- Woman’s
ship Hot Fuzz son, TV
tion name
builder actor presenter
_ Kvitova,
Canvas Gull-like Long
Employ tennis
shelter sea bird scarf
player
Note
Farmyard
of debt Bicycle
bird
(inits.)
Norway’s Opportu-
Harvest
capital nity
Female
Eagerly
person or Had food
expectant
animal
Terracotta Vase
Hot trend! Collars, £20
Knit Your Own Plant
Cover Kit, £16
Plant
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from
Kikkerland!
Water From A
Y
T Stone, £16.50
T
E
G
S:
E
G
A Mini Ikebana For these and
M more, visit
I Kit, £20
Terracotta Seed kikkerlandeu.com
Sprouters, £20
9
It was completely
terrifying
CC AA RR
CCRRAASSHH
starting to panic.
Courtney and
Macy must have
heard the crash,
Maxine Holland, 37, from but the living room
door had jammed
Cowdenbeath, Scotland, had just a few shut in the wreckage.
metres from I’m trapped, I thought. What
settled down to watch telly when where I was am I going to do?
sitting. ‘Mummy, Mummy!’
she got the fright of her life... Just 20 Courtney shouted.
minutes ‘It’s OK, love,’ I said, my
earlier, Macy voice shaking. ‘Just stay there.’
had been sat Thankfully, the girls were
right there safe – but I wanted to get to
P upstairs and watch telly with with her paper and crayons. them as soon as I could.
S utting my cuppa Courtney,’ Macy said. My blood ran cold as I Spotting a small gap in the
N
W down on the coffee ‘Go on then, love,’ I said. ‘I’ll realised that if she’d still been living room wall, I crawled out
S: S table, I curled up on be up to tuck you in later.’ sat there, she could have died. past the car and ran outside.
TO the sofa and pointed The girls were good as gold, If the couch had been closer As I frantically ran around
HO the remote at the TV. and I took the opportunity to to the wall, the car would have looking for help, my neighbour
P My little girl Macy, four, was catch up on some Sunday night crashed straight into me.
R.
E sat in her favourite TV myself. There was dust,
K
C spot by the As I was flicking rubble and bricks
O I suddenly
CR window, colouring through the channels everywhere I turned.
H in, and my older heard a though, I suddenly As I stepped over Th
A
N daughter heard a massive piles of debris, I clocked ev
N massive
A Courtney, 10, was crash out of nowhere. an elderly man sitting in
H
D in her bedroom. crash from I jumped right out the driver’s seat.
N
A My husband of my skin. He looked conscious,
N nowhere
O Gary, 36, was out at What the hell...? I but I was in such shock I
S
P work – I’d made thought, spinning could barely take in
M
SI dinner for the kids, around – when I what was happening.
H everything was ready for them came face-to-face with blinding Is this a dream? I
A
N to go back to school after the headlights, shining right at me. thought in a daze.
N
A weekend, and the house was It gave me the fright of my It was terrifying.
H
Y clean and tidy. life as I realised a car had Then I saw steam
B
S Finally, I had time to chill out ploughed right through my billowing out of the car.
D
R and put my feet up! living room wall. Oh my God, what if it
O
W ‘Mummy, I’m going to go It had come to a grinding halt catches fire? I thought,
10
