Kerry,
a softly-spoken 33-year-old, admits: "The sight of Hayley as our
bridesmaid was absolutely heartbreaking. I didn't think it was possible
for a mother to feel so proud as I did then. I never thought I would see
Hayley so happy and so beautiful."
"She
was such a perfect baby - but when she was first diagnosed with this
awful disease, I honestly couldn't see any way forward.I
would wake in the morning and think of getting in the car with Hayley,
driving somewhere quiet and feeding a hosepipe from the exhaust in
through the window. I thought, we would both die painlessly."
"The
diagnosis was so terrible that I could see no future for us at all.
Mark and I had been ripped apart. Suicide - and taking Hayley with me -
seemed the only way out. I would
watch Hayley while she slept and feel such pangs of love for her. Then
I'd be hit by shock, worrying what her future held. When she was born, she was so beautiful, just like any other baby, and our future as a family seemed so assured.
"But since she was diagnosed, life has been simply terrifying."
Now,
though, there is hope. The family have flown to America, to Boston, for
pioneering treatment which may stop the ageing process and save their
daughter's life.Their
extraordinary battle began ten years ago when Kerry, then a cook, met
carpenter Mark Okines, now 44. Two months later, she discovered she was
pregnant.She smiles at the
memory. "I loved Mark and really wanted a baby. So, although it was
early on in our relationship, it felt totally natural and we were
delighted."
Naij
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