KATIE’S STORY
blind in both eyes. As well as the agony I was in, all I could hear was male voices around me which made me feel incredibly vulnerable and scared. Then amid the noise I heard my mum and I felt safer. It was incredible the effect the sound of her voice had on me.
My parents didn’t leave my side for the seven weeks I was in hospital – and for months after. My dad is a very emotional guy – he cries at The X Factor – but my mum has never been like that. She was brought up with very Victorian-style parenting. It breaks my heart that her dad told her if she ever needed to cry, to go upstairs quietly and weep into her pillow. But that made her very strong and, in my worst moment, I needed that strength.
It was an awful time. I couldn’t see, I knew I was completely disfigured and there were so many medical complications caused by the damage from the acid. I also knew the men who did this hadn’t been caught and I didn’t think they ever would be. I was on massive doses of drugs. There was a point when the doctors came to talk about the next operation and I shook my head and wrote a note saying: ‘Kill me.’ Now I have two girls myself, I can’t imagine how that felt, but my mum just held my hand and pushed on.
She was never fluffy, she never told me everything would turn out well, she just encouraged me to take step after step. She took photos every day. It was the teacher in her that refused to sugar-coat the truth but wanted me to see improvements. And also, I know now, that she wanted documentation in case anything happened to me. She was going to fight for justice – she wasn’t ever going to let me down.
I feel so grateful to her. When I came out of hospital she looked after me, physically and emotionally. I needed her for everything, from my personal hygiene to my medical needs. There were lots of times I used her as a punchbag. I could take all my anger out on her because I knew she’d never walk away. Mum took early retirement so she could always be with me. I’ve said sorry so many times.
During everything I went through, my mum became the closest person to me. My life changed again in many wonderful ways but when I found out I was pregnant with Belle, I was so happy. I’d thought I might never be able to have a baby and my first call was to my mum. She told me she was about to call me because she’d been diagnosed with bowel cancer.
I felt my pregnancy had to be the light to her dark. I would take her to events I was invited to; we did lots of lovely things that sound superficial but because she saw so many terrible things through me, I wanted to balance that with happy memories.
Six years later we are in lockdown. We speak every day but in those years the cancer spread to her lung, liver, skin and now her lymph glands. Rules are relaxing but I would not risk
Katie Strong, intelligent, reliable, selfless. Diane Brave, loving, determined, articulate.
Their worst habit?
Katie Sending me grammatical corrections
on my social-media posts.
Diane Her impatience. If a suggestion is made she will want to do it without thinking.
When you’re together...
Katie She tells stories about my childhood. Diane We eat, we drink lots of tea and we
always find something to laugh about.
Your favourite memory of each other? Katie Sitting at the table sticking pictures from catalogues into a book of stories I had made up with my mum sitting next to me,
listening and being absolutely present. Diane Watching her walk down the aisle on her father’s arm. I don’t cry easily but my eyes were filled with tears when I saw her.