IN THIS ISSUE
Battling illness is tough for anyone – few people like that feeling of being unable to function properly, stuck on the couch to a point where even Netflix is beginning to run out of appeal. Imagine what it’s like for a child in such a situation – not being able to play with their friends, go to school or even enjoy playing a video game. And when that illness is long-term, it’s even more traumatic for them. Little Megan O’Leary has an extremely rare disease called chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis, or CRMO. Only one in a million people suffer with the debilitating condition and it means that her body thinks that she has infections and tries to fight them, resulting in constant inflammation and pain. But not only has Megan battled the condition with good grace, she’s also taken the time to fundraise for Crumlin Children’s Hospital as well as donating her hair to the Princess Trust, which uses it to make wigs for children who lose theirs through cancer treatment. On page
26, Megan’s mum Judy tells us how proud she is of her daughter – and we’d like to add our congratulations to this little star. Our cover star today is Michelle Keegan, the former Coronation Street actress who has gone on to forge a stellar acting career outside the soap – no mean feat. Her marriage to reality TV star Mark Wright is under constant scrutiny so on page 20 she reveals how they manage to keep their love on track while she travels for her work and he remains at his new Los Angeles base. Regular phone calls, she insists, are the answer. I was very interested to hear that when they do get together, their date nights tend to involve lying on the sofa watching Netflix – not the high-flying social life I would have envisioned, but the perfect way to ensure they give each other all the attention they need. Enjoy the issue!