A mum who was told she would never have children is taking on a 100 mile walk for charity – while carrying her BABY.
Laura Faulkner, 33, says she was left feeling depressed and devastated when she was told at 17 her dream of becoming a mum was nearly impossible.
After suffering with stomach pains, her GP diagnosed her with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and told her she would ‘never have children’.
Women with PCOS can struggle to become pregnant and are at higher risk of developing complications during pregnancy.
But the mum-of-two defied the odds after her first pregnancy four years ago, which she described as ‘the most beautiful day’ of her life.
Laura will now walk 100 miles over five days to raise funds for the Verity project – a self-help group – next week to mark PCOS awareness month while carrying her second little girl, a one-year-old, in a sling.
Laura, who has decided to keep her children’s names anonymous., said: “As a little girl I always wanted to be a mum, I wanted to be like my mum.
“It’s an important aspect of life, and to have that ripped away when I was just a teenager was devastating.
“You never expect something like that to be snatched away from you.”
After meeting her husband Frazer, 31, in 2010, the pair had to have the ‘difficult conversation’ regarding her condition, as they both wanted children.
PCOS affects between five and ten percent of women in the UK and millions worldwide.
It is a heartbreaking disorder caused by an underlying hormone imbalance which leaves sufferers with enlarged ovaries and irregular periods.
Laura, from Preston, Lancs., was inspired after spending time at the Verity PCOS Self Help Group, who offer support to women diagnosed with PCOS, sometime in 2013.
She met other parents who were told they could not have children who ‘defied the odds’
Stay-at-home mum Laura said: “After I met Frazer, we had really difficult conversations about it and we had to talk about how I might not be able to have kids.
“We knew we both wanted children but there were so many complications.
“But after going to the support group, who were brilliant, and after meeting other parents we said we would at least try even if the odds were stacked against us.
“People in the group were told they would never have children but they defied the odds, and that inspired us.”
The mum described the moment she learned she was pregnant with her first daughter in 2016 as a ‘total shock’.
She said: “I remember when I got pregnant in 2016, I was so shocked but over the moon.
“Most people hate the morning sickness and all of that – but I was overjoyed.
“I was going to be a mum.
“Holding her for the first time was among the most purest moments of my life – it was just love.
“I was so happy. I can’t even begin to describe it.
“I can’t imagine a life without her, and I can’t believe I spent so much of my own life believing I had to live without this moment.
“It was the best day of my life.”
She added: “Seeing my two girls each day reminds me of how lucky I am, but also about how important hope is.”
Laura’s eldest daughter just started nursery, which left the mum-of-two bawling her eyes out as she never thought she’d get to bring her own kids to school.
Laura added: “I thought I’d never get to bring my own kids to school, carry their little bags, wish them a good day.
“I was so proud of my girl on her first day and I cried all day – I was a total wreck.”
The mum will be carrying her one-year-old baby in a sling in September for 100 miles over five days to raise funds and awareness for a cause that is close to her heart.
She said: “I want to raise awareness and do this because I know what it is like to be told you can’t have children.
“And just as I was inspired and had my life changed with the births of my two beautiful children – I want to inspire others.”
You can donate here: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/laura-faulkner-walk
