They were opening presents and having fun, but Jenny Day, 50, knew what had to happen next
It was 2013 and just eight months earlier, Amanda had been a busy teenager, studying for her GCSEs and planning to study art at college. She loved dancing and watching her favourite film, Step Up, with her big sister, Rebecca, then 17. My husband, Gary, and I were so proud of our girls.
But then, Amanda began to complain of headaches. As a sufferer myself, I thought she’d inherited them from me. But they only got worse – she’d have a headache every day and soon she was getting back ache too. In the holidays, all she wanted to do was lie on the sofa.
And then, in September 2013, I’d just got home from doing the weekly shop when the phone rang – it was Amanda’s school. ‘Amanda has collapsed,’ her teacher said. ‘We’ve called an ambulance. You need to get here.’
There was no time for questions. I hung up and ran to my car. The 10-minute journey seemed to last for hours, and when I finally arrived, I saw Amanda being stretchered into an ambulance. ‘Mum!’ she cried, tears streaming down her face. I was relieved that she was conscious and talking – but as I held her close, I was so confused. What was wrong?
Just a migraine
I called Gary and promised to keep him updated. And, at hospital, a CT scan came back clear. ‘It was just a bad migraine,’ the consultant said.
Denne historien er fra November 20, 2017-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
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Denne historien er fra November 20, 2017-utgaven av WOMAN'S OWN.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
FAST & THRIFTY DINNERS
Filling family meals to save you time and money
ARE VIRAL FITNESS TRENDS WORTH THE HYPE?
Keen to know if the workouts she sees online can actually make her fitter, Rachel Tompkins, 44, gives them a try
GO OUT OF SEASON
While some European cities seem to go into hibernation over winter, others just get better in the colder months
MY LIFE IN MUSIC
Monica Cafferky, 55, reveals how certain tunes bring back special memories
THE DECISION THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
After trying diets without success, Breanne Concannon, 31, was left feeling hopeless
MY TOY ΒΟΥ KEEPS ME YOUNG
For Trish Hughes, 44, the thrills of being married to a man 20 years younger is worth all the judgement
'THAT'S NOT MY BABY'
Lying in the hospital bed, my husband Michael had tears of happiness in his eyes as he showed me a photo on his phone. 'Here she is,' he said proudly. 'This is our beautiful baby girl.'I stared at the photo and shook my head. 'No, that's not my baby,' I said. 'There must be a mistake.'It was August 2010 and I'd not long before had an emergency caesarean. I'd not had a chance to see Winnie when she arrived as she'd been whisked away for tests because she was nearly two months premature.
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Hayley, 45, has her son to thank for crucial evidence
'I'D LOVE TO DO EASTENDERS'
Loose Women's Linda Robson on the daytime show, dating and her next career move
Beckhams INSIDE THEIR PROPERTY EMPIRE
We take a look at the power couple's posh pads
