By Ruby Watson
A woman is child-free by choice so she doesn’t pass on a rare genetic condition – but says trolls tell her she can’t know “true love” unless she has a child.
Sophie Power, 33, and her husband, Joe, 33, decided not to have children because they would have an increased risk of developing cancer.
Sophie was born with Li Fraumeni syndrome – a rare genetic condition that increases her risk of the disease.
She has had cancer twice – surviving neuroblastoma aged five and breast cancer just last year.
Sophie, who works in PR, from Telford, Shropshire, England, said: “I’ve always joked that one of the most attractive things that my now-husband said when we first met was that he didn’t want kids.
“We got told once that you can’t know true love until you’ve had your own child. It’s absolutely mad the stuff some people come out with.
“It would be easier to tell them that I couldn’t have kids. It’s possible, I just don’t want them.
“If people are going to be really judgy about it then you probably don’t need that negativity in your life.”
Sophie discovered she had Li Fraumeni syndrome after losing her younger brother, Daniel Belcher, seven, to a brain tumour in 2001.
Her mom, Michelle Belcher, 39, and nan, Jenny Pitchford were both successfully treated for breast cancer but later developed secondary cancers elsewhere.
Michelle passed away after the cancer returned and spread to her liver, ovaries, brain and lungs.
Jenny died three years later from cancer and a number of health problems.
The pattern lead Sophie and her family to go for genetic testing and she was diagnosed with the rare condition.
She said: “I have a yearly MRI – so I have my full body, breast scans.
“I have brain scans and stuff every year so that’s how they keep on top of everything.”
Sophie had never felt particularly maternal and always wanted to focus on her career.
She said: “I always joked that I would get broodier over puppy videos than I would with human babies.
“My parents were told quite a few times that I wouldn’t make it to secondary school, that I wouldn’t make it to university so I’ve always had those goals in my mind.
“There was no way I wasn’t doing either of those things.”
There are options for people with Li Fraumeni syndrome to have children such as in vitro testing and IVF but Sophie and Joe, a corporal in the RAF, have decided against these.
Sophie said: “Ultimately although they might not have that condition, they could have another.
“Even if we were to have kids and we’d done all of the testing, I wouldn’t want to be one of those parents that was a hypochondriac because I was just massively worried about something happening to them.
“I just don’t think it would be a good headspace to be in.”
Sophie often faces a lot of negative reaction to her decision.
She said: “I’ve been in so many conversations where they just cannot fathom why I wouldn’t want to have kids.
“There is even now such an expectation that you, as a woman – that’s what you’re built to do.
“You are but there still is choice involved. Just as it’s your choice to have a child, it’s a choice not to have one.
“It’s just nice that people are actually talking about it and we’re not just the crazed childless person in the corner of the office.”
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