We have a 32-year age gap but tied the knot after meeting through Twitter”
A couple with a 32-year age gap have tied the knot – after meeting through Twitter and falling in love while living 4,207 miles apart.
Heather McGreachy-Irwin, 36, and her wife, Sue, 68, bonded over their love of Star Trek despite being on opposite sides of the Atlantic.
The pair started messaging on Twitter and, after just two weeks, decided to video chat on Zoom – where they instantly hit it off.
Due to the pandemic, they couldn’t meet in person for a year, until Sue – originally from Florida, US – flew to London to see Heather.
They spent the next 20 months traveling back and forth, realizing their feelings for each other – despite both only having dated men before.
After coming out to their families, they eloped in a small Central Park ceremony in May 2023. The following month, Sue moved to the UK permanently.
The couple says their relationship has been “life-changing” and they hope to celebrate their marriage with family and friends in the future.
Sue, a retired project manager from Orlando, Florida, said: “The initial connection was because we were both huge Star Trek fans.
“I had recently won a competition to have a Zoom chat with Kate Mulgrew, and I was talking about it on Twitter.
“Heather saw it, responded, and that was how we connected.
“I think we both knew very early on that we had deep feelings for each other.
“We were both closeted at the time, but we reached the conclusion that we wanted to make the changes in our lives to be out.”
Heather, a mental health nurse from Luton, Bedfordshire, had only dated men when she met Sue on Twitter in December 2020.
Sue, who had been married for 36 years and has a daughter, also came out after meeting Heather.
The pair jumped on a Zoom call just two weeks after first talking and ended up chatting for hours – but couldn’t meet in person for another year.
It wasn’t until November 2021, when they finally met in London, that they realized they had a connection – and were gay.
“Sue had booked to go to a Star Trek convention in London,” Heather said.
“She came for a week, and the convention was at the end of that week.
“Sue is a photographer, so I took her to places where she could get good pictures.
“We went to Buckingham Palace and all the typical sites.”
After Sue returned to Florida, the couple spent the next 20 months flying back and forth across the Atlantic.
In October 2022, they finally came out to their families and friends.
“The toughest thing for me was coming out – I was terrified to tell my daughter,” Sue said.
“But when I told her I was gay, she looked at me and said, ‘Mom, I always knew you were.’
“It made me realize it was time to make the changes in our lives to be out.”
Heather also found coming out difficult:
“It was tricky for me – my family and friends had only ever known me dating men.
“I told my parents separately. I was a little more nervous about telling my dad.
“He said he already knew what was going on between us but asked why I didn’t tell him sooner.”
The couple took a trip to New York City in December 2022 to make their relationship official.
“It was on that trip that I proposed to Heather,” Sue said.
“We were at Summit One Vanderbilt, which is all glass, and it was nighttime in the city – it was beautiful.
“I found a quiet corner in the very busy room and proposed.”
Instead of having a big wedding, they decided to elope in Central Park in May 2023, with only two close friends as witnesses.
“The wedding itself was very small – we didn’t invite any family,” Heather said.
“We had spent so much time apart and accommodating other people, we didn’t want to worry about the logistics of getting everyone there.
“We wanted the wedding to be just about us – and it was a great day.”
In July 2023, Sue moved across the Atlantic to be with Heather in the UK.
“The biggest adjustment was moving from the ‘Sunshine State’ to rainy England,” Sue joked.
She had just retired and was looking forward to traveling in retirement.
“Flying to Europe and other destinations was much more expensive from Florida than from London, which was a big factor for me.
“Plus, the idea of living abroad had always been appealing to me.
“Heather has a six-year-old daughter and a career in mental health nursing, so it made more sense for me to move than for her.”
The couple says their age gap doesn’t impact their relationship or draw negative reactions from others.
Although Sue has occasionally been mistaken for Heather’s mom, they don’t mind explaining their relationship.
“Nobody has had an issue with it – even though it’s a pretty big age gap,” Heather said.
“When we first realized there was something between us, Sue was concerned about the gap.
“But I compared it to the age gap of Holland Taylor and Sarah Paulson.
“We know we have a time limit, and one day I’ll be on my own. But we both want to have whatever time we can together and make the most of it.”
Woman discovers she’s the spitting image of a 1909 painting
A woman was left shocked after a stranger pointed out that she was the doppelgänger of a 1909 painting.
Riley Madison Ladner, 22, had never heard of At the Dressing Table, a painting by Russian artist Zinaida Serebriakova.
But after receiving a message on TikTok, she was told about the uncanny resemblance.
At first, Riley brushed it off, but as more messages came in, she decided to look it up – only to be stunned by what she saw.
The painting depicts a young woman with loose, dark hair sitting at a dressing table – and the similarities between them were striking.
From her features and hair to a nightgown she already owned, the resemblance was so eerie that she decided to recreate the look.
Riley, a content creator from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, USA, said: “It was very chilling – almost unnerving – because it was so similar.
“I thought it was so interesting and cool because I’m a painter myself.
“The painting looks so modern, so I was surprised to learn it was over 100 years old.
“When I showed my husband, he said, ‘Oh my gosh, you have a nightgown just like that!’
“So when I made the video, I intentionally wore it – but I already had it.”
The resemblance has sparked theories online, with some joking that she could be a reincarnation of the woman in the painting.
Riley is even considering taking a DNA test to see if she has any connection to the artist.
She said: “I’d love to do a DNA test just for fun.
“It would be so interesting to see if there’s any link – or if it’s just pure coincidence.”
“My husband trained in spray tanning to save me $1.6k-a-year”
A husband became a board-certified spray tanner after his wife asked him for a tanning subscription for Christmas.
Sarah Baus, 27, would get a spray tan twice a month — costing $1,600 a year.
Due to the high cost, Sarah asked her husband, Joseph Bass, 27, an engineer, for a membership package at the place where she gets her spray tans.
Instead, Joseph came up with the genius idea to pay $399 for a spray tan kit and took part in a one-hour course to become a board-certified spray tanner.
Despite being nervous at first, Sarah said that Joseph did a great job and she didn’t turn out too orange.
Sarah, a content creator from Charleston, South Carolina, said: “Joseph loves spending time with me; he is very into acts of service.
“He was very proud of the spray tan, especially the second one he did when I was going to an event.
“He thinks it is really funny; we laugh so much when we are doing it.
“Joseph is always looking for ways to do things like this; I don’t understand how he can get any better, but he does — it is alarming.”
Sarah would usually get a spray tan twice a month, spending $140 a month.
She realized the cost was adding up, so she asked her husband, Joseph, for a membership package for Christmas — but Joseph had other ideas.
“I have been pro-tanning for years. I was getting more and more spray tans for events and things,” Sarah said.
“I asked for a membership package for Christmas. I don’t know what inspired Joseph or how he found out about it, but he learned to become a spray tanner.”
Instead of buying Sarah the membership package, Joseph bought his own spray tanning kit for $399 and enrolled in a one-hour online course.
Sarah said: “He bought a kit from the National Spray Tan Certification Board and took an hour course.
“He has the whole kit; the first one was a bit of a test, but he did such a good job.
“I was a little nervous; the only thing I wasn’t sure about was the color — I was worried it might have go too orange.
“Once we got the first one out of the way, we were off to the races — it was great.”
Joseph, an engineer, from Charleston, South Carolina, added: I decided to buy the kit firstly because I knew it would be far cheaper over the long run than getting her a spray tan subscription.
“I also thought it would be a fun challenge to try out and would be a good bonding experience for both of us.”
Joseph has spray-tanned Sarah three times since he got the kit, and Sarah said he gets better each time.
“The second spray tan was for a huge event, I was like, ‘You have to remember this is for a special event,’ Sarah said.
“But I didn’t need to worry, it turned out great, and we had so much fun doing it.
“I have texted him this morning to book a spray tan for tonight.”
Joseph said: I love doing things for her so this is just another thing to add to my services list.
“Doing the first one was a little rough. Even though I took the training and read the book there were still a few things I needed practice with.
“Sarah said the first one looked good and the second one was even better so I hope it’ll come with practice.”
Bride planned wedding in 24 hours – so dying dad could walk her down the aisle
A bride planned her wedding in less than 24 hours – so her dying father could walk her down the aisle.
Maurice Haynes, 69, is currently receiving care at St. Giles Hospice in Whittington, Staffordshire, after being diagnosed with terminal tonsil cancer in October 2024.
His daughter, Hannah Haynes, 29, was desperate for him to be there for her upcoming wedding – knowing that he had always dreamed of walking her down the aisle.
So, she made sure his wish came true.
With the help of hospice staff, Hannah and her fiancé, Josh, also 29, organized their special day in less than 24 hours.
Caregivers transformed the hospice’s chapel into a beautiful wedding venue – complete with bunting and candles – and Hannah managed to find a wedding dress the morning of the ceremony.
Just hours later, on February 18, Maurice, from Cannock, Staffordshire, proudly walked his daughter down the aisle in an emotional moment captured on video.
Hannah said: “What St. Giles has done for my dad is unbelievable.
“He was unsure about coming to a hospice at first, but now that he’s here, he’s comfortable and happy in his environment.
“Having our wedding in a hospice wasn’t what we originally imagined, but having my dad there to walk me down the aisle – nothing else mattered. It didn’t matter where we were getting married, as long as he was there.”
Leon Ratcliffe, interim director of clinical services at St. Giles Hospice, shared how honored the staff was to be part of such a special moment.
“It was such an honor to help create a very special moment for Maurice, Hannah, and their family,” he said.
“Hannah was determined that her father would be part of her wedding day, and we were delighted to assist in making that happen.
“We wish Hannah and Joshua a long and happy marriage and thank them for allowing us to be a part of such a memorable occasion.”
“I’m best friends with my ex-husbands new wife – we’re so close we wax each other”
A mom is best friends with her ex-husband’s new wife and says they are so close they even help each other wax.
Haley Neill, 35, was married to Josh Braswell, 37, for six years when they realized they were better off as friends.
They have three children together – Brody, 15, Brylee, 13, and Brantlee, 9 – and were determined to be good co-parents.
When Morgan Braswell, 31, met Josh later that year, Haley was immediately open to welcoming a new woman into the family.
Morgan and Josh tied the knot eight years ago and now have three children together – Brooks, 7, Brady, 6, and Briar, 4.
Haley – who has since met her husband, Jason, 44 – felt even closer to Morgan when she became a mom and now considers her a best friend.
The two spend time together with their kids, say no topic is off-limits, and Morgan even helps wax Haley.
Strangers online often comment on how similar they look, saying Josh clearly has a “type.”
Haley, a brand manager at a bank from Magnolia, Arkansas, said: “It’s rare for us to go a day without seeing each other.
“I talk to her more than any of my friends.
“We have so much in common.
“She waxes me – that’s how comfortable we are.”
Morgan, a teacher, added: “We’ll talk about anything.
“We talk about problems – anything.
“People flip out because we look alike.
“It makes it fun – everyone says he has a type.”
When Haley and Josh, a loader at a refinery, separated in June 2014, she was determined to create a “healthy blended family” after coming from a split family herself.
Haley said: “That was my main motivation.
“My parents won’t be in the same room.
“We were meant to be friends.
“We got pregnant and rushed to get married.
“When we separated, we became friends again.”
Morgan met Josh in November 2014 through Snapchat – she was friends with his cousin, and her name popped up on his account.
Morgan said: “He Snapchatted me and thought I was cute.
“After the first time I hung out with him, I left for Disneyland, and he said, ‘We’re going to take the kids there one day.'”
Morgan and Josh quickly hit it off, and Haley was immediately welcoming.
Haley said: “It wasn’t like I still wanted the marriage.
“She didn’t split up our marriage.
“We never disliked each other.”
Morgan added: “I was the other woman in her kids’ lives. I give her props. I took her youngest daughter to get her ears pierced, and she didn’t care.
“Stepmoms dream of this.”
The two became even closer five years ago when Morgan’s eldest, Brooks, was a toddler.
Haley said: “When she became a mom, there was something different.
“I feel like she understood me.
“We had this connection. I started to be more comfortable with her.
“It was a really cool experience for me – my kids had a sibling. It was amazing to see how much my kids loved their sibling.”
Now, the friends hang out most days – living just 0.8 miles apart. They work out together, go to the pool, and take their kids on vacations.
They even have the same style and interests.
Morgan said: “We have the same style. We’ve shown up in the same clothes before.
“We’re both a little crazy.
“We make a good match – Haley is a people pleaser, and I’m the one who will say the things she won’t.”
Haley met her husband, Jason, a salesman, in September 2018, and the whole family often spends time together, attending ball games and other events.
The blended family doesn’t spend Christmas together since Haley’s family is spread out across the country, but they always see each other during the holiday season.
Haley said: “I wanted the kids to have a healthy blended family.
“I wanted them to see that you can all get along.
“Years ago, I was on the phone with Morgan, and Brody asked, ‘Are you best friends?’
“At the time, I said, ‘No, we’re just friends.’ But now, we’re best friends.”
Now, the two say they each feel like a “bonus mom” to each other’s kids.
Morgan said: “I feel like I’m a bonus mom to Haley’s kids.”
Haley added: “Morgan is like a sister.
“Josh and I never got along well – we were just waiting for Morgan.”
Heart transplant girl misses father-daughter dance – hospital came to rescue
A ten-year-old girl waiting for a heart transplant missed out on her school father-daughter dance—so staff recreated it in the hospital.
Ava Cooper was born on July 1, 2014, with several heart defects.
She had her first open-heart surgery when she was six days old, and in May 2024, a sinus infection escalated, pushing her into heart failure, and she was put on the transplant list.
Ava has spent more than 200 days at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s, Cleveland, Ohio, waiting for a donor heart.
Usually, in February, Ava would attend a father-daughter dance at school, so on February 12, 2025, the hospital decorated her room and turned it into a dance hall.
Corsage in hand, her dad, Sean, 38, was waiting for Ava outside her room to take her to the ball.
Greeted into the space with a round of applause from caregivers who are more like family, Ava and her father danced to a curated playlist of her favorite songs created by one of the music therapists.
Sean, from Cleveland, Ohio, said: “It was an unforgettable experience.
“We can’t thank Ava’s care team and everyone involved enough for making this such a special dance.
“I’m grateful to be a girl dad. It means being inspired to always be better.”
Baby born with ear on his cheek as part of rare syndrome
A baby was diagnosed with a rare syndrome after being born with an ear on the right side of his cheek.
Vinnie James, a four-month-old, has Goldenhar syndrome – an extremely rare condition characterized by the abnormal development of the eye, ear, and spine.
His parents, Grace, 25, and Rhys James, 26, noticed a small ear on their newborn son’s cheek after he was born, and he was rushed to the ICU.
At two months old, little Vinnie – who was also born without a right eye – was diagnosed and has since undergone surgery to have a tracheostomy fitted when he stopped breathing.
Vinnie has started the process to have a prosthetic eye fitted and will need surgery to relocate his ear in the coming years.
Rhys, a business owner from Bridgend, Wales, said: “When Grace gave birth, he wasn’t breathing, so they rushed him over to a table, and I didn’t know what to do – I went into the bathroom and started praying.
“I then noticed a small ear on his right cheek; I didn’t know what had happened – I was really shocked in the moment.”
Grace had a smooth pregnancy and had been unaware of Vinnie’s condition before he was born.
Vinnie was born on November 9, 2024, but was immediately rushed to the intensive care unit at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen when he wasn’t breathing.
He was put on a ventilator for an hour after he was born, and doctors told his parents they suspected he might have Goldenhar syndrome.
Rhys said: “We didn’t know what it was – we were really shocked and had no preparation for it. We sat there, confused and tired.”
They stayed in Glangwili Hospital for four days before being moved to Heath Hospital in Cardiff, where Vinnie stayed for 61 days.
After an initial discharge meeting, Vinnie’s doctors conducted a sleep study, but when he stopped breathing, he was rushed into surgery.
Rhys said: “He was a month and a half old when they had to give him a tracheostomy.
“After surgery, he was on a ventilator, but doctors started to realize his lungs were too strong, and he was breathing against the machine, so he was off the ventilator within a week.
“It was really amazing – we knew he was progressing.”
After the surgery, Grace and Rhys spent time completing training on tracheostomy care, including how to pass a nasogastric tube – a tube that goes through the nose into the stomach – to feed Vinnie.
Despite his progress, Vinnie’s tracheostomy still has to be suctioned multiple times a day, and he is more prone to illnesses and infections.
He has suffered from two chest infections since being discharged from the hospital.
Vinnie is now under the care of Great Ormond Street Hospital and has begun the process to get a prosthetic eye fitted. He will also need surgery to relocate his ear in the coming years.
Vinnie’s parents now must travel from Bridgend to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London every two weeks for his eye appointments – with the cost of travel and living expenses becoming overbearing.
A GoFundMe page was set up to help support Vinnie’s parents with these expenses – and has raised £4,900 so far.
Rhys said: “It’s the biggest blessing we’ve ever received.”
Vinnie’s mom, Grace, is now a full-time caregiver for their son, having formerly been a receptionist.
Rhys added: “When I have a day off, I don’t get paid, so the money is the most amazing thing for us in this situation.
“We wouldn’t be able to do it without the money – I’d be in a lot of debt.”
With thousands raised, the family’s worries about the financial aspects of Vinnie’s care can be less of a burden – but there are still countless procedures and surgeries in Vinnie’s future.
Rhys added: “I can’t even put into words how much this will help.
“We say the soul is more important than facial features, but for his quality of life, it will matter to him.”
Despite all the challenges, parents Rhys and Grace have stayed positive.
Rhys said: “We’re still new to this, but we’ve learned to adapt to the situation and use it as a way to spread awareness for those who suffer from disabilities.
“We want to encourage people to contact us if they feel like they’re struggling – we’d love to speak to people and tell them how we got through this journey and give them advice.
“Hopefully, Vinnie can inspire a lot of people.”
Support Vinnie and his family here – https://www.gofundme.com/f/n2g4y5-supporting-little-vinnie-on-his-medical-journey
“We’ve furnished our home for FREE by dumpster diving and save £9k a year on food”
Meet the dumpster-diving couple who have furnished their entire home for FREE using items people have thrown away and save £9k-a-year on food eating out of bins.
Amir Jardan, 38, and his fiancé, Ruth Moore, 27, have been finding treasures in dumpsters since 2022.
Over the years, the pair from Dorchester, Dorset, have discovered items such as faulty iPads and drones in the trash – that Amir restores.
They’ve also got their hands on rare trainers, luxury perfumes and designer clothing.
The savvy couple – who have three children aged seven, five and six months- even stock their fridge and pantry with bread, pasta, chocolate and crisps they find in supermarket bins and spend a minute £50-a-week topping up with a food shop.
They have even been able to deck out their entire cottage in Dunelm furniture they discovered in the store’s bin – including a light fitting worth £135, a coffee table worth £170 and rugs worth up to £60.
They spend up to nine hours a week trawling through the bins of their local stores – and say it’s saved them £7,000 in total on home decor and saves them roughly £9,300-a-year on groceries.
Amir, a fire alarm engineer, said: “We get an adrenaline rush every time we go, we can’t stop.
“You never know what you’re going to find – it’s like treasure hunting.
“We don’t shop anymore because you don’t get the same buzz when something is full price.
“Ruth and I are both from humble beginnings so we know what the cost-of-living is like – which is worse than ever.
“Anything we won’t use or keep, we donate to the charity, We Are Humans.
“It’s fun to cop a steal but we want to give back to people who need it and do our bit for the environment.
“We’re teaching our kids the true value of items.
“I hope one day to launch a programme when I can go into schools and teach kids why dumpster diving is a great hobby and resource.”
Ruth, a postwoman, added: “It’s our bonding time and getting in those industrial bins is a workout.
“Some of our mates say to Amir ‘oh, you’re taking the Mrs to the bins again?’ but it’s me that’s taking him!
“I know what it’s like to not be able to afford certain things and small luxuries, so I love that we can donate things that would be in landfill.
“Our family don’t need a lot, so why not get it out of a dumpster?”
The couple – who met in 2021 when Ruth was Amir’s postwoman- started dumpster diving in April 2022 to keep up with the rising cost-of-living.
Starting out with taking items from designated bins, they found a plethora of furniture – including rugs, lamps, clocks and even a TV stand which they refurbished themselves.
Soon after, realised they could get an entire food shop from bread, crisps, chocolate, vegetables and meat.
Amir said: “We’d known about the concept of dumpster diving and were curious about what we could find.
“On our first dive, we found loads of furniture which meant we were able to decorate our home.
“Then we moved on to food and haven’t looked back.
“We only spend £50-a-month on food, which is mainly a takeaway coffee because that’s our treat.”
The couple started documenting their adventures on YouTube in November 2023 where they have over 7k followers and share their weekly hauls.
Whatever they don’t keep they donate to the Bournemouth-based charity, We Are Humans, which provides food and other essentials to locals in need.
“We never keep more than our means, we don’t like to be greedy,” Amir said.
“If there are clothes that are fit for someone who needs them or tonnes of canned goods, we donate that and more.
“I love the community we’ve built online because it helps educate people that dumpster diving isn’t weird.
“It’s fun, good for the bank account and environment.
“There’s not a lot we won’t dive for – except for meat, that’s where we draw the line.”
To keep up with Amir and Ruth’s finds, find them @CoupleofDumpsters on YouTube.
Some of Amir and Ruth’s best finds:
- £600 worth of Lancôme make-up
- X-Box controllers worth £70
- iPad 10? retailing at £329
- Dunelm rugs worth £1,200 total
- New Balance trainers retailing at £110
- Dunelm light fitting worth £135
- Michael Kors jacket retailing at £400
Toddler steals eyeliner and doodles all over the walls
A mum shares the hilarious moment her toddler stole her eyeliner and covered the walls in make-up.
Mum Jackline Mwende, 42, had dozed off while her son Thabani Canessius, two, napped in his cot.
But the mum-of-two woke up to find that Thabani had reached out of his cot and got hold of her eyeliner from her make-up bag and started doodling on the wardrobe.
He used the entire eyeliner pen drawing on the walls and on himself too.
Jackline, a stay-at-home-mum, from Bristol, said: ‘’He really went on a mission.
‘’We had to wash his mouth, hands, face…. even scrub his tongue!’’
Jackline had dozed off at around 4pm on February 4, 2025 after suffering with a migraine.
She woke up an hour later to ‘’dark colour absolutely everywhere’’.
She said: ”I saw dark writing on the wall, and my initial reaction was shock-horror’.
”I switched the light on… and I was mortified.”
Luckily Jackline and Thabani’s dad, Goodwill Canessius, found it hilarious but stayed calm to try and clean it up.
Jackline tried vinegar and lemon juice to remove the make-up and had to use bleach to restore the wardrobe back to its previous white colour.
But the mischievous toddler was apologetic enough, promising his mother that ‘’I wont do it again’’.
Jackline said: ”He’s done loads of hilarious things which I haven’t caught on camera, but my initial reaction was ‘please Thabani, please tell me you haven’t’.
“I almost thought I was dreaming!”
Mum’s heartbreak as one-year-old’s rare disorder leaves her always hungry
A mum has told of her daughter’s “devastating” rare disorder – which will lead to her feeling permanently “starving”.
Min Kaur, 45, was told her one-year-old daughter, Sophia, suffers from Prader-Willi syndrome in January 2024 after she went in-and-out of consciousness and floppy.
The rare genetic disorder causes a wide range of physical symptoms, learning disabilities and behavioural challenges.
Typical signs of Prader-Willi syndrome include restricted growth, floppiness and an excessive appetite which can easily lead to dangerous weight gain.
While Sophia’s eating habits are currently “normal” and she appears to know when she’s full, her dietician has told Min she may start to overeat from the age of two.
Mum-of-one Min was even informed it may get so severe, she’ll need to put a lock on her fridge.
Former support worker Min, who cares for Sophia full-time, from Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, said: “I don’t know how long Sophia is going to live – at the moment, I’m trying to be as positive as I can.
“I’ve got an excellent care team and I’m learning as I go – I feel prepared to start keeping an eye on her weight within the next few years.
“Sophia’s doctors say she’ll live longer if she can maintain a healthy weight – they just can’t say how long.”
As an older mum, Min decided to get Sophia screened for Down syndrome while she was 12 weeks pregnant.
She says, had a screening been available for Prader-Willi syndrome and other genetic disorders, she would’ve done them, too.
The scan came back clear, and the original plan was for Min to have an induced labour at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, on January 12, 2024.
But when the day arrived, the drugs were unable to start Min’s contractions, and 14 hours later than planned, she was taken for a c-section.
“Sophia just wasn’t coming at all, so they decided to do a c-section,” Min said.
“I was absolutely desperate to get her out and have her here, safe and sound.”
Sophia was born at 2.22am on January 14, 2024, weighing 6lbs 3oz.
Min immediately noticed she wasn’t making any noise, was freezing and would fade in and out of consciousness.
But, she says, doctors kept an eye on her during genetic testing, and she was then taken to the ICU.
On January 21, 2024, Sophia’s genetic blood test came back positive for Prader-Willi syndrome.
Min said: “It was so scary.
“I kept blaming myself – but my care team reassured me I hadn’t done anything to hurt her.
“I didn’t know anything about Prader-Willi at all – of course, I’m more clued up now.
“They say she’ll have a shorter life – and won’t have an off-switch for eating.”
The tot spent four weeks in the intensive care unit, before being discharged back home with Min – who has needed to give up work in order to look after her full-time.
Sophia sees a physiotherapist every Thursday to help learn core movements like crawling – but she isn’t expected to hit her milestones at the same rate as “healthy” babies.
She also has a dietician, who will be helping Min create healthy meal plans for Sophia to stick to as she gets older.
“I’m really going to have to be in control of her food as she grows up,” she said.
“It’s not going to hit her until she’s two years old – as long as she doesn’t get obese, she should be able to live a longer life.
“At the moment, she seems to know when she’s full – she puts her lips together when she doesn’t want to eat any more.
“She’s also a healthy weight.”
While visiting Sophia daily in the ICU, Min spent all of her £5k savings on travel, food, urgent home repairs and sensory toys for the tot.
She hopes to adapt her home to meet Sophia’s needs – but is currently unable to afford the costs after giving up work.
“I’m not the kind of person to ask for help – and if I could go back to work ASAP, I would,” Min said.
“But I’ve come to the point where I have no choice.
“How can I give Sophia the best she deserves if she doesn’t have space?”
Min and Sophia’s GoFundMe can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-give-sophia-space-to-crawl-and-walk
