I was so desperate to help my dying baby I gave £100 bribe to a nurse: Mother begged staff to transfer daughter to intensive care before she died of h

-One-year-old Hayley was 'overlooked and neglected'
-Doctors were 'arrogant and unprofessional'
-Parents were repeatedly told there was 'nothing to worry about'


By Andy Dolan


A mother driven to despair as her baby daughter lay dying in hospital bribed a nurse with a £100 gift voucher in the hope of improving her care.

Hayley Fullerton died of heart failure within a month of her first birthday after doctors ignored Paula Stevenson’s pleas to transfer the little girl to an intensive care unit.

In the weeks leading up to Hayley’s death, Miss Stevenson became so concerned about the ‘brutal’ care her daughter was receiving that she tried to bribe one nurse to stop her daughter being ‘overlooked and neglected’.

Yesterday, the 40-year-old told an inquest: ‘I was out of my mind with worry and was so upset. The doctors were arrogant and unprofessional.

‘I tried to express my concern to the nurses, I even bought a £100 gift voucher in an attempt to bribe one of them.

‘I hoped the other nurses would hear about it and look after Hayley in the hope they would get one too. But nothing worked.’

Hayley had been diagnosed with a hole in the heart before she was born, and was admitted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital for corrective surgery when she was ten months old.

Miss Stevenson said that while the operation was a success, complications arose during Hayley’s recovery after doctors inserted the wrong size tube into her lung, causing it to collapse.

The inquest heard Hayley’s parents became increasingly concerned that their only child was struggling to breathe and looked ‘puffy’ – but were repeatedly told by medics that there was nothing to worry about.

When her lung collapsed for a second time, Hayley was put in an isolation ward, despite Miss Stevenson and husband Bobby Fullerton begging doctors to transfer her to intensive care.

The couple and Hayley’s grandparents, Sylvia and Edward Stevenson, kept a vigil at her bedside, but Hayley died in November 2009 – four weeks after the corrective surgery.


Hayley Fullerton was born with a hole in her heart, and had to undergo surgery aged 10-months-old to correct it

It was during the recovery from the surgery when complications arose, ultimately leading to her tragic death

A report by the hospital concluded that there had been failings in the little girl’s care and said Hayley may have survived if there had not been.

Miss Stevenson, who kept her maiden name after marrying Mr Fullerton, said that the more she complained about her daughter’s treatment, the worse it seemed to become.

She added: ‘All Hayley did was sleep. What was happening to her was destroying me.

‘Hayley’s experience at Birmingham Children’s Hospital can only be described as brutal.’

Miss Stevenson and Mr Fullerton live in Australia, but Hayley was born in Northern Ireland, where Miss Stevenson grew up, so that her family could be around her. The couple took her to Birmingham Children’s Hospital for surgery because it is a major centre of paediatric cardiac care.

The inquest continues.


Paula Stevenson told an inquest her one-year-old daughter was overlooked and neglected at the hospital


Hayley Fullerton with her grandparents, Edward and Sylvia Stevenson, both helped keep a bedside vigil for the four weeks Hayley spent in hospital before her death



source:dailymail

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Supersize mum who dreams of becoming the world's fattest woman reveals she's marrying a CHEF

By Emily Allen


A mother bidding to become the fattest woman in the world has become engaged to marry a chef.

Susanne Eman, 33, revealed her controversial dream of reaching a target weight of over 115 stone last year - to become the biggest human ever.

Now the mother-of-two, who currently weighs more than 54 stone, plans to wed fiance Parker Clack, 35, who loves cooking for her.

Supersize diet: Susanne Eman, 33 being spoon fed by her boyfriend Parker Clack, 38 at the breakfast table

The pair met over the internet last year and hit it off following a string of emails.

Within months Parker moved in to Susanne's home in Casa Grande, Arizona, where she lives with sons Brendin, 13, and Gabriel, 17.

Unemployed Susanne said: 'We are a match made in heaven. I love eating and Parker loves cooking.

Love: Susanne and Parker share a kiss on their bed. The pair met over the internet last year and hit it off following a string of emails

Feast: Susanne enjoys her dinner at a local restaurant tucking into several dishes, including a side salad

'It's a perfect pairing. I still want to be the fattest woman in the world and Parker is fine with that.

'He loves larger women and sees how happy I am when I'm eating.

'His cooking skills were definitely part of the attraction. How could I resist a man with talents in the kitchen?

'His signature dish, spaghetti bolognese, is my favourite. I could eat it all day.
'Parker helps by doing the housework too.

'He does most of the house work, cooking, helps encourage me to go for walks, he goes swimming with me, helps me do anything I have difficulty with.'

Parker encourages Susanne to go for walks and swim to keep her mobile and helps her with anything else she has difficulty with


Keep-fit: Parker is supporting Susanne in her controversial goal of becoming the world's heaviest

Susanne says she has gained several stone since her last weigh-in last year when she registered at 54 stone

Amazingly Parker is supporting Susanne in her controversial goal of becoming the world's heaviest.

Seen here dishing up a home-cooked breakfast for her, Parker cooks mountains of bacon and scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, huge slices of toast and even salad for Susanne.

Parker said: 'I support her because it makes her happy, and I love big women.

'I do worry about her health of course, but I try to make sure she eats some healthy food like salad, and I make sure she does exercises.

'She's taken up swimming since we met and we love to swim together.

Susanne poses for a photograph with her two sons Gabriel, left, 17, Brandon, right, 13, and her fiance Parker Clack. The couple are pictured right, together. Doctors have told Susanne she is gambling with her life

'I know becoming the biggest woman ever is something she truly wants to do with all of her heart.

'She had a check up last year and the doctor said she was fine, even though he doesn't support her mission. He said she's gambling with her life.

'As long as the doctors say she's okay, I'll support her.

'I'd love Susanne whatever she looked like, but if she was a size-zero model I wouldn't have noticed her in the first place.

'We met online and exchanged photos when we were courting. I thought she was beautiful.

'I've always preferred bigger girls. To me there's nothing attractive about a skinny woman. It's more ladylike to have curves.

As Susanne, a size 10XL, continues to balloon, Parker takes her and her sons to the park on day-trips - wheeling Susanne around in her wheelchair

'Men aren't supposed to have curves, but women are, and Susanne definitely has them.'

Susanne says she has gained several stone since her last weigh-in last year when she registered at 54 stone.

She had hoped to be three stone heavier by the end of 2011.

'It's harder to gain than you might think because I'm trying to stay as healthy and active as possible,' she said.

'I've been slowly upping what I eat. It's like an athlete training but instead of training to be harder, I'm making myself softer.

'There's not been a point where I've doubted what I'm doing. It's deep desire for me to do this and I feel I can do it without endangering my health so I don't worry about my boys.'

As Susanne, a size 10XL, continues to balloon, Parker takes her and her sons to the park on day-trips - wheeling Susanne around in her wheelchair.

'My mobility is decreasing,' she said. 'But I always knew this would happen as I gained. I get out of breath more easily and Parker has to push me in my chair more often.

Susanne is served breakfast in bed by Parker who is a chef. Her favourite food is spaghetti bolognese which is his signature dish

'When we go to the store he shops for me. He helps me in and out of the car. He encourages me to do my exercises.

'My aim is to never become bed-bound. As long Parker keeps taking me out to the park for waddles, then I know I can keep moving.'

Reaching her goal would mean Susanne tops that of previous world record-holder Carol Ann Yager, who died in 1994 from kidney failure caused by morbid obesity.

But despite warnings from doctors that she is playing 'Russian Roulette' with her life, Susanne says she can avoid the fate of others who have reached over 1000lbs (71 stone).

'I do my best to eat as much healthy food as possible,' said Susanne.

'I do an exercise regime to keep me as mobile as possible and Parker helps with that. He makes sure I do my stretches and sit ups.

'I want to try and break the stigma that being fat is bad.

'And it's helped me to find love, so hat's wrong with that.'


source:dailymail

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Brave acid attack survivor Katie Piper has eye-sight restored after stem-cell surgery

By Tara Brady


Winning again: Katie Piper is enjoying having her sight back following acid attack in 2008


A former model and television presenter who was left partially blind in one eye after an acid attack has had her sight restored following stem-cell surgery.

Katie Piper, 29, suffered third degree burns and had to have her face reconstructed after the attack in 2008, when her spurned ex-boyfriend, Daniel Lynch, 35, arranged for Stefan Sylvestre, 22, to throw acid in her face.

The incident left her scarred for life and damaged her left eye.


Katie has had hundreds of plastic surgery operations, including skin grafts to remould the skin around her eyes.

She also had to wear a mask for 23 hours a day to stretch her scar tissue.

But her sight has now been restored thanks to doctors at the Queen Victoria hospital in East Grinstead, West Sussex, who used eye tissue from the cornea of an anonymous male donor.

The cells then grew and three weeks later were stitched into Piper's damaged eye.

Her eye was then covered with amniotic membrane - womb lining donated by women who have had caesarean births which acted as a bandage.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, Katie said: 'It has been an amazing feeling.

'It wasn't like I took the bandage off and my sight came back like that, it happened gradually.

Inspiration: Ex-model and TV presenter Katie Piper who had acid thrown into her face

'But after three weeks I started to see results. I'd seen a lot of progress with my scars, but my sight was the one injury I'd say to myself was permanent and least expected to change. I do feel like I'm winning.'

Sheraz Daya, the surgeon who led the team, has successfully treated more than 60 patients with the procedure.

He said: 'Our goal is to make sure the cornea heals. The best part of it is that it begins to clear and sight is restored.'

Katie: The Science of Seeing Again will be shown on Channel 4 at 9pm on Tuesday.


source:dailymail

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I dropped 8 dress sizes in 8 months... and it wasn’t as hard as you might think!

By Ursula Hirschkorn


Before and after: Ursula at size 24 (left) and now a svelte size 10 (right)


The sight of the attractive, stylish, slim woman caught me by surprise and, for a few seconds, I stopped to stare.

Her tailored coat flattered her trim body and her slender legs were shown to their best advantage in a pair of killer heels. Oozing confidence, she was the type of woman I had once been envious of, but not any more. Why? Because I am that woman and, if I say so myself, I look a million dollars.

I know that sounds horribly arrogant, but perhaps you will forgive my moment of self-satisfaction if I reveal that just eight months ago that shopping trip would have filled me with horror and I’d have spent the whole time avoiding mirrors, rather than admiring myself in them.


You see, since the start of the year I have dropped eight dress sizes and lost close to six stone. That coat I was wearing? It was a new, size ten designer one. In contrast, the coat I wore this time last year was a voluminous size 24.

I know for most women admiring themselves in new clothes is just one of life’s little pleasures, but for the past decade it has been denied me. When you are fat, buying clothes is just another painful humiliation to be endured rather than enjoyed.

Perhaps things would have been easier had I always been fat and never known the rush of excitement that goes with zipping up a tiny dress. But I knew just how good thin felt because up until I was 20, I was a slender size eight.

Catalysts: Ursula says that a passion for food and three pregnancies caused her weight to rocket up to 15 st 8 lb

It was when I started university that I first began to put on weight. Having been an active teenager, always out horse riding or dancing with my friends, I hated being stuck in a library with a pile of books and began to comfort eat to compensate — something I continued to do into my mid- 20s until I hit a bloated size 18.

Then came a painful divorce twinned with a crazy starvation diet which saw me plummet to an emaciated size six by the time I was 29. Aged 30, I met the man who was to become my husband. Love blossomed and I ballooned.

It started with the meals out and indulgent takeaways we shared in the first flush of romance, and then it was the three pregnancies over five years — one with twins — that saw my weight rocket up to 15 st 8 lb. At just 5 ft 3 in it gave me a BMI of 38.4, putting me in the morbidly obese range.

At the time I claimed that I was fat and happy — after all chubby girls are meant to be jolly, aren’t they? Of course, every overweight woman knows what a big, fat lie that is. Being fat is miserable, joyless and soul destroying and saps your confidence on a daily basis.

It was only when I went for a blood test and was told that I was at risk from developing type two diabetes that I accepted that I urgently needed to put an end to the twisted relationship that had developed between me and food, and learn to nourish my body, instead of gorging.

No fad diet would do that for me so I decided that the only way forward was to do what we are constantly encouraged to do: eat less and move more.

It was tough at first as I cut out all those things I loved so much. Like anyone trying to lose weight I ditched all the obvious foods like cakes, biscuits and, particularly hard for me, crisps.

But I never followed a specific diet, counted a calorie, or cut out a whole food group. I just gave myself better food and less of it. A typical day would see me start with porridge, then a mid-morning snack of fruit. Lunch would be pitta with hummus followed by low-fat yoghurt, then I would have a mid-afternoon snack of a handful of nuts.

Myth: Like many overweight women, Ursula used to pretend she was fat and happy - but in reality she had low self-esteem and was at risk of diabetes

Dinner could be a vegetable curry with brown rice, or grilled fish with lentils and vegetables. I eat exactly the same now, but I do allow myself the odd day off to indulge in pizza and ice cream. I just don’t do it every day.

I love a glass or two of wine with my dinner, and I saw no reason to give this up.

The one pitfall is that wine does make chocolate seem much more appealing. I got around this by eating a square or two of 70 per cent cocoa chocolate, which sated my sweet tooth without doing too much damage.

It might seem hard to believe, but I never once fell off the wagon — watching the weight melt away kept me motivated. I lost about three stone in as many months and even after that the scales steadily fell downwards until I hit that elusive last half stone, which I will probably struggle with for the rest of my life.

I do credit exercise for my success as much as what I ate, though. I joined a gym the moment I decided to lose weight. I will never forget how intimidated I felt as I entered the gleaming lobby for my first session. I was terrified, but I knew I had to beat my fear of the gym if I was going to achieve my goal.

Big mother: At first, Ursula's children wanted her to remain large so they could share her food and 'bounce on her belly'

I went to the gym four times a week and, as the weather got better, I started running outside too. Now I can’t imagine not working out for more than a day. I am scarily fit compared to how I used to be — I am hoping to run my first half-marathon next year — and I hope this is what will stop the weight from ever creeping back on again. None of this is complicated or mysterious — I didn’t need to go to a class or read a book to learn these skills - I just needed to stop stuffing my face.

Strangely, though, when I first began to cut back my sons were upset by the idea of mummy losing weight. They would say: ‘But Mummy, we want to bounce on your big, wobbly belly!’ and tried to feed me their crisps or sweets.

It was hellishly hard to say no to their beseeching little eyes, but I am glad I did because I know my eldest son, seven-year-old Jacob, loves nothing more than to jog alongside me as I warm up or cool down after a run. How much more fun is that than sharing a tube of Pringles?

My husband was equally ambivalent about the slim new me, and while friends would congratulate me with every stone shed, he was strangely quiet. Post weight loss, in the run up to our wedding anniversary, I was excitedly discussing the new outfit I was planning, when he snapped at me that I didn’t need a new dress.

Happier and healthier: Ursula has never felt better and her family couldn't agree more


Well for once I really did, as by then all of my old dresses hung off me. I asked him what was wrong and he admitted he was missing the old, fat me. I think it was our old life together that he missed the most — the one based on big, boozy meals and relaxing on the sofa.

Instead, he had a wife who insisted that we ate vegetables with every meal and was never happier than when running around the local park. It was a sea change that he found hard to adapt to. He loved the way I looked but hated what it took to achieve it.

But slowly, over the months, he saw how my happiness grew with every pound I lost and he started to accept his newly slender wife. Just the other day he said, with true wonder in his voice, that he loved that I now have a waist and ribcage he can feel.

But perhaps my proudest moment was completing a 10K run in aid of The Stroke Association last month. There I was — a woman fast approaching 40, who just eight months ago got out of breath walking up a single flight of stairs, and I ran the whole race, sprinting to the finish in under an hour, my children and husband cheering me on. I couldn’t tell the sweat from the tears as they all flung their arms around me.

You see, that is the problem with fat. It imprisons you and it stops you from fulfilling your potential as a human being. It halts you in your tracks and, rather than making you happy, it ensures you will stay sad and that you will always be left out because you simply can’t keep up or fit in. Being fat is tough. Eating all the time isn’t fun — I never savoured food as much as I do now that I understand what a treat is.

Everyone tells me that losing weight makes me look ten years younger and, with my 40th birthday party later this month, this can only be good news. As I slip on my slinky size ten dress, all thoughts of the sack I wore on my 39th birthday will be banished.


source:dailymail

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'I blame it on my genes': 700lb Californian woman enters the record books as the world's heaviest woman

By John Stevens


After reaching 700 pounds, Pauline Potter has officially entered the record books as the world's heaviest woman.

But the 47-year-old from Sacramento, California, now says she wants to lose weight so she can enjoy every day life again.

Mrs Potter had boasted that men think she is a 'sex goddess' and she has 'fantastic sex every day', but she now struggles with daily life and cannot turn over in bed and or fit in her car.

Record breaker: Pauline Potter has entered the Guinness Book of Records as the world's heaviest living woman

This big: Mrs Potter weighed 700 pounds at her peak and hopes to lose up to 500 pounds


She wants to lose as much as 500 pounds in order to be able to go dancing, go on road trips and fit in seats at the theatre.

The world record holder, who currently weighs 643 pounds, blames her upbringing as the main reason for her size.

She said that being overweight is in her genes and that as a child there was an 'overabundance' of food.

'My mom was over 400 pounds and my dad over 600,' she said. 'I have eight siblings all which are over 300, except one.

Appetite: Lunch with son Dillon involves crisps, chocolate eclairs, supersize soft drinks and KFC

In the pool: Mrs Potter goes swimming between three and five times a week at a warm water therapy pool where she does lengths to keep mobile

Fuel: Dillon takes his mother to the supermarket in a wheelchair where they buy doughnuts


'We were just raised, that if it was happy we'd celebrate with food, if it was sad, oh you fell down and skinned your knee, here's ice-cream.'

Mrs Potter said that she has repeatedly postponed losing weight, but has decided it is now time to do something about her size as daily life is becoming very difficult and she has to rely on her son for help.

'Everything is difficult from getting dressed to taking a bath,' she said. 'To reaching, you know, I can't put my own socks on.

'As far as my daily activity I do, everything is very difficult and thank goodness I have a very good relationship with my son and he is very helpful. He helps me do anything that's difficult.'

Before she was fat: Mrs Potter thinks the roots of her obesity lie in her childhood and her genes

Growing up: Mrs Potter said that her family used to turn to food for both celebrations and commiserations


The Californian mother tries to keep mobile by going to a warm water rehabilitation pool three to five times a week where she does laps.

But she has to use a mobility scooter to get around and can no longer get into her car.

Mrs Potter said that one of her problems is that she likes all foods, except sauerkraut and Brussels sprouts, and said she has food every one or two hours.

'I'd be happy at 200 [pounds] maybe 300 but probably more 200 would be my ideal weight,' she said.

Support: Mrs Potter said that she relies on her son for help doing everyday things that she cannot do along with her sisters

Too big: Mrs Potter cannot get in her car any more so has to use a mobility scooter to get around

'I would be in seventh heaven. I could dance, I could go watch Baseball games, I could walk into a Theatre and sit in the seats, I could go on road trips again with my son, we could go to Reno and gamble.'

Mrs Potter is looking for a nutritionist and doctor to help her, but said she also has the support of her network of friends online.

'I have a lot of friends online,' she said. 'I go online there's a support group on there with other heavy friends, so we talk quite a bit online, we exchange phone numbers, we talk on the phone or we email.'

Mrs Potter said she regrets getting as big as she has and would not recommend her lifestyle to anyone.

'I don't even know how to say, it's not fun, it's not fun at all,' she said. 'There is no physical freedom.'

'As far as even rolling over in the bed. Thank goodness I have an electric hospital bed, and I can grab on to the bars to roll over.

'I am mobile to a certain extent but it's difficult. I just struggle every day to hang on to what little bit of mobility I have. It's very hard.'

For more amazing records check out the new Guinness World Records 2012 out on September 15th. Visit www.guinnessworldrecords.com for more information



source:dailymail

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World's heaviest mother goes on diet… after she was ditched by her chubby chaser fiancé

By JOHN STEVENS

All over: Donna Simpson and her chubby chaser fiancé Philippe Gouamba have split up, prompting her to go on a diet

Donna Simpson's record-breaking weight had brought her all she dreamed of.
The 44-year-old had a chubby chasing fiancé, was world famous and earning $90,000 (£55,000) a year from fans who paid to watch her eat more than 15,000 calories a day online.

But the 600 pounds supersize mother-of-two has decided to start losing weight after she broke up with her feeder future husband.


For my daughter: Ms Simpson said she now realises she has to lose weight so that she can look after her four-year-old daughter Jennifer


The holder of the Guiness World Record for the 'World's Heaviest Mother' told subscribers of her website, 'I ask that you take your last looks at the old Donna', as she revealed she was closing the site and starting a diet.

The $20 a month subscription website will be closed down and replaced by a weight loss blog, a decision she said had not been 'easy'.


Big eater: Ms Simpson has been eating 15,000 calories a day, which is more than is recommended for a woman to eat in a whole week


'I recently split with my fiancée of five years and moved with my two children back to my home town in Ohio,' she wrote on her site.

'This life changing move made me realize something important.

'The health and welfare of my family was always my priority and they were well taken care of by my ex.

'Now that I have sole responsibility of taking care of my children, I must drastically change my lifestyle.'


Happy family? Donna Simpson with Philippe Gouamba before their split, and her children Devin and Jacqueline


Showing off: Ms Simpson reveals her gigantic belly

source: dailymail

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The holiday snaps that changed our lives! Dreading those summer bikini shots? Then these women will inspire you...

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Never going back: Anna has worked hard to drop from 17 to 10st, left, and doesn't want to be overweight again

There's nothing more depressing than flicking through your holiday photos, only to find your happy memories marred by how overweight you look in them. Here, three women inspired to shape up after seeing themselves in their holiday snaps share their stories...

Anna Shephard, 29, is a primary school teacher from Dulwich, South London. She is married to Junior, 28, a mature student. Previously a size 22, now a size 8-10, she says:

As a child, I was big. I ate a lot, and my bad eating habits continued into adulthood. Typically, I’d have two burger and fries meals from Burger King for lunch — and maybe a family-sized bag of Maltesers after dinner.


Ashamed of her size: Sonia was 15st, right, but is much happier now she's 11st and can fit into dress size 12


Sonia Coles, 41, is a teaching assistant from Banbury, Oxfordshire. She is married to Stephen, 50, a caretaker, with two children, Louis, 16, and Samuel, 12. Previously a size 20, now a size 12, she says:

Before I went on holiday to Spain in 2008, I was so ashamed of my size that I didn’t even try on my new one-piece swimsuit. I was a size 18 and couldn’t bear to look in the mirror; I didn’t want to confront the reality of how I looked. We had booked into a lovely apartment complex in Salou, which was full of lots of other British families. By the pool, I was so conscious of my wobbly flesh that I hid inside a towel. Most of the women were slim — and their gorgeous figures were a painful symbol of what I could never be.


Wake-up call: Angela, now 9st, left, knew she had to rid herself of the belly she had had since her youth, when she was 12st


Angela Sweeter, 60, is a hairdresser from Bracknell, Berkshire. She is separated and has two grown-up sons, aged 23 and 21. Previously a size 14-16, now a size 10, she says:

Last year I was going through some old photos when I found one of myself taken in Monte Carlo in 2003. The photo shows me standing on the balcony of my hotel, with my tummy so swollen, I looked pregnant. There’s no smile on my face, no sense I was enjoying myself. What struck me was that nothing about my appearance had changed in the seven years since that photo had been taken. I was still the same size — 12st and a size 14-16.


source: dailymail

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Toddler born with 'clown-nose' birthmark spends two hours in surgery to get a 'face like Mummy's'

By Joanna Corrigan


Connie at three months after the birthmark had grown to cover her nose


For three years, she had to put up with cruel taunts because of a condition that left her with a bright red 'clown nose' just weeks after she was born.

Her mother had to resort to hiding Connie Lloyd's face when they went to the doctors because people made such 'horrible' comments.

But now Connie has a new lease of life after surgery to remove the blemish, which actually marked the existence of a tumour.

Following her three-and-a-half hour operation, a delighted Connie proclaimed that she now had a 'nose like her mum's'.


Her mother, from Slough, Berkshire, said: 'When we saw her nose we were amazed. She looked like a different child but we knew it was our Connie.'

Doctors had spotted a shadow on Connie's nose at the 26-week scan but when she was born in September 2008, she appeared perfectly healthy.

Two weeks later, her parents Zara and Tom spotted their daughter's nose was turning bright red. What started as a tiny dot quickly grew to 4cm wide.

Their GP referred them to a skin specialist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, who diagnosed the baby with haemangioma - a benign tumour.

The little girl had a haemangioma - a benign tumour


Connie became only the eighth baby in the UK to try the drug Propranolol - used for heart conditions - to stop the growth becoming larger.

But her parents were told there was no cure and also warned she could even bleed to death if her nose was scratched or bruised.

Her mother searched for anyone who could help and eventually located surgeon Dr Iain Hutchison who specialises in treating facial disfigurements.

He operated on Connie in March, working to remove the tumour and leaving her with just a small scar.

Happy: Connie following the successful operation to remove the mark


Her mother said: 'Before the operation, Connie was quite shy and when people made comments and pointed she would turn her head.

'Even just going to the doctors' surgery was awful for both of us. I would hide Connie in the car to avoid people making horrible comments.

'By the time Connie was four weeks old, her nose was a perfect clown's nose and not only was the birthmark growing externally, but internally too.

'We were constantly worried. The doctors said if she cut or grazed it, she could bleed to death. There were treatments to stop it getting bigger but nothing to get rid of it.'

'It was the longest two hours of my life when Connie was in the theatre. When she came out of the operation she said her nose was like her mum's.

'Now she is doing really well, she has a big group of friends and we are so proud of her.'

She added: 'It's nice not to have to deal with the cruel comments any more but, red nose or not, Connie has always been our perfect little girl.'


Connie in the womb at 32 weeks, with the mark visible on her nose


source:dailymail

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Girl, 16, branded ‘burnt toast’ by bullies after horrific fire finally dares to bare her skin after EIGHT YEARS

By Daily Mail Reporter


Dare to bare: Vicky has had skin grafts and operations every year since the fire eight years ago

A girl who suffered burns to a third of her body and was called 'burnt toast' by school bullies, has bravely bared her scars for the first time this summer.

Vicky Chaundy, 16, was just eight years old when a fire broke out at her uncle's flat where she was visiting.

The blaze, which started in the pub below them, killed her two cousins and left her with burns from her neck to her stomach and on her hands and arms.

Her left hand was so badly burnt doctors initially wanted to amputate it and she has had skin grafts and operations every year since the accident.

After the fire Vicky was bullied at school for her appearance and until now she has always covered her scars with jumpers - even in hot weather.

But she made the brave decision to go out in T-shirts and dresses this summer.

'It's a day I thought I would never see and a really remarkable step forward,' said her mother Kim Knight, 42, from Dagenham, Essex.

'I'm incredibly proud that Vicky has decided to wear sleeveless tops and dresses again.

'Everyone has been saying how lovely she looks so hopefully this will be a fresh start for her.'

Vicky said she is determined to put the past behind her and has found a new confidence.

'I hated leaving the house as everyone would stare at me,' said Vicky.

'I was bullied at school and got called Freddy Krueger or burnt toast. I didn't go out much.

'Over the years I've grown stronger and learnt to live with my scars and not care so much about what people say.'

The fire broke out in July 2003 at the Prince of Wales pub in Stoke Newington, which was run by Vicky's uncle Kevin Knight, 52 and his wife Kate, 38.

One of the customers, Ronnie Springer, helped to rescue Vicky and an 11-year-old girl, who was also staying at the pub, by smashing a window and lowering them to safety.

The other girl escaped unhurt, but Vicky was taken to hospital, along with her five-year-old cousin Charlie. Her cousin Christopher, 10, died on arrival at the hospital. Charlie died the next day as did the man who rescued her after he fell from the pub window.


Still smiling: Vicky suffered third and fourth degree burns from her neck to her stomach and on her hands and arms


Vicky was put in an induced coma and over the following few days surgeons grafted skin from her back and legs on to the most badly affected burns.

Doctors also splinted her arms to keep them straight and stop the skin contracting.

'I was shocked when I had the phone call to say Vicky was in hospital and when I saw her lying unconscious on the bed I couldn't believe it,' said Mrs Knight.

'I couldn't touch or hold her as her body was so blistered and the doctors were worried the flames may have damaged her eye sight.

'I was thankful her face hadn't been burned but she was very ill and I was worried about how she would react to her injuries when she woke up.'

Two weeks later doctors brought Vicky out of her coma and the bandages were gradually removed. After three months in hospital she was finally allowed home, but had to have cream rubbed into her skin four times a day.

At home Vicky needed help dressing herself and even eating. She constantly had to go back to the hospital to have her dressings changed and for physiotherapy.

Since then she has had an operation nearly every year since the fire, including two skin grafts.

Fire investigators discovered the blaze had been started deliberately in the hallway after two paper towels soaked in accelerant had been set alight.

A woman was charged with manslaughter and arson, but eventually acquitted.

Meanwhile Vicky is putting her traumatic past behind her. She even wore a strappy gown to her school prom at the end of the term.

'I want to dress like my friends and not cover up any more. I know how lucky I am to be here and I'm determined to be a normal teenager,' she said.

Vicky is planning to start a health and social studies course at Havering College in London in September and become a nurse so she can help other burns victims.



source:dailymail

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'When you're bigger than the biggest person on The Biggest Loser, it's horrible': How mother-of-two lost 200lb in a year

By Tamara Abraham


Tipping the scales at 456lb Staci Bridwell was ashamed to acknowledge that she weighed more than the largest contestant on the Biggest Loser.

But thanks to the help of celebrity coach Chris Powell, the 30-year-old, from Haslet, Texas, has lost over 200lb in the space of a single year.

The mother-of-two, who appeared on the latest episode of Extreme Makeover, told how she gained weight in her early teens, and has not been able to shift it since.


Transformation: Staci Bridwell, 30, from Haslet, Texas, once weighed 456lb (left), but lost 201lb in a year after appearing on Extreme Makeover (right)


She said: 'As a teenager I gained probably 200 pounds between the time I was 13 to 15. I was shopping at Lane Bryant by the time I was 13 years old.'

She revealed that she had tried every diet imaginable, but her job as a mobile radiology technologist meant that she spent up to ten hours a day in the car, and fast food had become a part of her lifestyle.

'Weight Watchers, Jennie Craig, The Soup Diet … anything,' she said. 'I’ve done them all, and nothing ever worked.'

In addition to a demanding job, Mrs Bridwell was required to care for her two young daughters, as well as support her husband, Rodney, who suffered a stroke three weeks after they met.

Out of control: The mother-of-two's weight soared in her teens, and by 13 she was shopping at Lane Bryant

Pressure: Mrs Bridwell experienced added stress after her husband suffered a stroke, numbing the left side of his body. As a consequence, she became the family's sole breadwinner


But, as the show reveals, she found the impetus to transform her diet and lifestyle, exercising for up to four hours a day, despite her demanding work and home life.

'I didn’t know what to cook. I didn’t know what to buy at the store. I had to change all of that,' she explained.

'I lost the weight over a year, and now it’s just the way I live. I don’t even have to think about it anymore. It’s already second nature. It’s a new lifestyle.

'The hardest part is getting started and making sure you stay with it.'

Success: Mrs Bridwell could fit both herself and her daughter into the legs of her old jeans after six months


Mrs Bridwell enjoyed a successful first six months, dropping to 290lb at the mid-way weigh-in, but her weight reached a plateau during the latter half of Powell's plan.

She told how she had lost her focus while juggling her hectic schedule, and had slipped back into bad habits, eating fast food and not making time to exercise.

But after a disappointing nine-month weigh-in, Mrs Bridwell's motivation was revived, and a session with Mr Powell helped push her to her goal weight of 255lb.

She said of the trainer: 'He’s a very special guy. He is super-inspiring, and
there’s just something about him being around that makes you feel like you can [lose the weight]. I said I’d give it my best shot - and I did - and it worked.'


Helping hand: With the support of celebrity coach Chris Powell, the 30-year-old reached her goal weight


Mr Powell was equally full of praise, crediting her dedication and motivation to her weight-loss goal.

He said: 'She was the largest woman I'd ever worked with and the transformation is incredible.'

As another positive consequence of her new healthy lifestyle, the whole Bridwell family has lost weight - particularly Mr Bridwell, who has lost 100lb since his wife changed their diet.

'My husband lost 100 pounds!' she said. 'It’s so aggravating, he never even works out. All he did was eat the [healthier] food. I work out for hours!'



source:dailymail

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