ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
WOMAN'S OWN|July 01, 2024
Despite the obstacles in their way, these two women found someone special
- HELEN RENSHAW
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

‘He accepts me for who I am’

Helen Cooke, 53, lives in Windsor with her physiotherapist husband, Michael, and stepdaughter, Rosie, 19.

I had surgery for a spinal tumour at just a few months old and have been a wheelchair user all my life. My parents encouraged me to be independent, and I grew up confident and resilient. But determined as I’ve been, I have experienced insecurities around dating. I remember watching friends meet their first boyfriends and thinking that might never happen for me.

LOOKING FOR ROMANCE

In my 20s, I started meeting other people with spinal cord injuries and many of them were married or had partners, usually able-bodied. I began to think that maybe I had built this up into more of a problem than it really was. I stopped thinking it was unlikely that I’d ever meet anyone, and started thinking that it just might be slightly more of a challenge.

I started internet dating in 2005, when it was still quite new. However, I didn’t put that I was a wheelchair user on my profile, as I worried men might just screen me out straight away. I always told them before we met – and I did have a few online conversations that ended with them saying they didn’t want to meet me any more, which was tough to deal with. Internet dating can be quite brutal – it’s all about the visual.

For the next few years, I shifted my focus to work. In 2006, I set up MyPlus, now one of the UK’s leading authorities in disability recruitment, which led to me being named one of the Shaw Trust’s 100 most influential disabled people in the UK.

この蚘事は WOMAN'S OWN の July 01, 2024 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

この蚘事は WOMAN'S OWN の July 01, 2024 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

WOMAN'S OWNのその他の蚘事すべお衚瀺
MAGNIFICENT MAURITIUS
WOMAN'S OWN

MAGNIFICENT MAURITIUS

Pe This istand in the ut 7% Indian Ocean feels Sa: like paradise, says Charlotte Richards

time-read
2 分  |
October 28, 2024
I HATE BEING A MUM
WOMAN'S OWN

I HATE BEING A MUM

One woman, 55, reveals why she resents all of the sacrifices she made to be a mother

time-read
5 分  |
October 28, 2024
SLASH SUGAR AND SLIM
WOMAN'S OWN

SLASH SUGAR AND SLIM

Trying to lose weight? With these clever tweaks, you don’t have to miss out on the seasonal sweet stuff

time-read
2 分  |
October 28, 2024
DAWN HARPER ASK THE DOCTOR
WOMAN'S OWN

DAWN HARPER ASK THE DOCTOR

Doctor Dawn Harper answers all your questions

time-read
2 分  |
October 28, 2024
SEX HORRORS SOLVED!
WOMAN'S OWN

SEX HORRORS SOLVED!

Stop physical intimacy from turning into the stuff of nightmares with our expert advice

time-read
2 分  |
October 28, 2024
THE TRUTH ABOUT LIFE WITH CANCER
WOMAN'S OWN

THE TRUTH ABOUT LIFE WITH CANCER

More than 12,000 people are diagnosed with brain tumours each year in the UK. Two mums tell us how the cruel disease changed their lives forever

time-read
3 分  |
October 28, 2024
DAWN NEESOM MIND OF MY OWN
WOMAN'S OWN

DAWN NEESOM MIND OF MY OWN

The Woman's Own columnist has her say on marriage, tea and Absolutely Fabulous!

time-read
2 分  |
October 28, 2024
TRAPPED INSIDE MY HOME WITH A MONSTER
WOMAN'S OWN

TRAPPED INSIDE MY HOME WITH A MONSTER

Gemma Williams, 46, thought she'd die at the hands of her partner

time-read
4 分  |
October 28, 2024
AMANDA TO REPLACE CAT?
WOMAN'S OWN

AMANDA TO REPLACE CAT?

With increasing criticism directed at the This Morning host, are producers ready to call in a familiar face?

time-read
3 分  |
October 28, 2024
Get the GOSS
WOMAN'S OWN

Get the GOSS

Your round-up of this week's biggest showbiz stories

time-read
1 min  |
October 28, 2024