Kirsty in bid for real Mother's Day

Mar 14 2010 Sunday Sun

KIRSTY Wootton thought she had been robbed of her chance of motherhood after beating cervical cancer at the tender age of 22.

Two years on, however, the inspirational young woman is more determined than ever to have a child of her own with husband Paul, allowing her to truly celebrate Mother’s Day.

And even though she may not be able to carry a child herself, Kirsty, 24, has revealed how she and Paul, 29, are set on achieving their dream, with the help of at least £15,000, a surrogate mum, a lot of legal paperwork and an anxious wait.

Kirsty, of Hylton Castle, Sunderland, said: “I’ve always wanted children and when someone takes it away from you it makes you want it more. I won’t feel complete until I’m a mum.”

Kirsty made headlines in 2008 when, against odds of more than one million to one, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer at Sunderland Royal Hospital, within hours of going to her GP suffering from heavy bleeding.

A smear test would have picked up the abnormality on Kirsty’s cervix but she hadn’t had one as the screening age was raised from 20 to 25 in 2003, a move which she strongly opposes.

Weeks later she had a hysterectomy, which was followed by several weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Despite knowing she could never carry a baby, she remained positive and returned to work as a dental nurse six months after her traumatic battle.

Dealing with her desire to be a mum was a different matter.

However, doctors did give her hope by managing to save her ovaries, which have been pinned up inside her, close to her back, meaning they were unaffected by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

She said: “Paul and I always planned a family so to be robbed of that was the biggest blow.

“Before I had the hysterectomy we looked into having my eggs frozen, but there wasn’t enough time to go through the hormone treatment. My consultant said he was more concerned with saving my life than making lives.”