Hospital dash for baby was scariest 24hoursofmylife
Capital’s new breakfast presenter opens up on coming home to find Bonnie ill and how she’s juggling her big job with being a mum
LOVE Island’s Laura Anderson revealed having to rush her baby to hospital when her temperature and heart rate spiked was the scariest moment of her life. The reality star, who has taken over from Tallia Storm as co-host of Capital’s breakfast show, admitted she was in a total panic when her daughter became really unwell on Tuesday afternoon.
Laura, 34, who was forced to miss her radio show on Wednesday, said that, although seven-month-old Bonnie is much better now, it will be a long time before she will forget the fear she felt when she took ill.
The former flight attendant, who is raising her daughter alone after splitting with her ex Gary Lucy, 42, said: “I swear it was the scariest 24 hours of my life. Bonnie is my world and I felt so helpless.
“I came home from work on Tuesday and she wasn’t her usual happy, smiley self and I knew instantly that something was wrong. I took her temperature and it was sitting at 39C and her wee heart was racing. I phoned 111 but it said the service was unavailable.
“I tried giving her Calpol but she just kept spitting it out. I didn’t know what to do so I phoned the children’s hospital and they told me to take her straight to A&E. My heart sank. I wasn’t overreacting and this was serious.
“My heart was in my mouth the whole way to the hospital. I felt sick. When we got there they tested her oxygen and told me they wanted to monitor her as her heart rate was quite high and her tonsils were swollen. After a few hours, they discharged her and told me to get a urine sample and take it to my GP in the morning.”
Laura, runner-up in the 2018 series of Love Island, added: “I managed to get a sample the next day which was quite a feat and involved putting cotton wool balls in her nappy. The GP tested it and it was clear. They said sometimes they can get a viral thing and it can raise their heart rate up as well when they’ve got a temperature so that’s quite alarming.
“Thankfully she is now totally back to her normal happy self but although she’s fine, it’s going to take me a minute to get over the scare. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so sick in my life and know this will be the first of many frights she will give me.”
Laura, of Cambusbarron, Stirlingshire, admitted that as well as worrying about Bonnie she was “mortified” at having to call in sick on her second week at Capital.
She said: “I nervously messaged the show producer late on the Tuesday night and said what would they say if I couldn’t manage in? He told me it was absolutely fine and a huge weight lifted.
“Everyone at Capital was great, even the big boss who said, ‘I know you have just started and you are freaking out but we knew you had a baby when
we took you on and these things happen.’ It meant so much to spend the time with Bonnie and monitor her. I have been trialling various nannies and they’ve been great but I didn’t want to leave her with strangers when I’m the one who knows her best.”
Laura, who got back together with Hollyoaks star Gary briefly after their baby was born, added: “I’ve been stressing so much about childcare since I got the Capital job but my mum Barbara has come to the rescue.
“She is going to leave her job and I’m going to basically employ her instead of a nanny that I don’t know and she’s going to have her every morning for me. I feel like now I can just properly get stuck into Capital and not be worrying about Bonnie, it just puts my
My heart was in my mouth the whole way to the hospital LAURA ANDERSON ON HER DAUGHTER’S HEALTH SCARE
mind at ease and I can focus on work when I’m there.”
Laura, who lives with Bonnie in Glasgow’s West End, said co-hosting the breakfast show with Fat Brestovci is a dream as she has been hankering after a permanent radio gig for years.
She said: “When I was growing up my dad always said, ‘Laura you can talk for Scotland,’ and now I’m getting paid to do just that. I absolutely love it. It’s so much fun. The bosses say I have taken to it like a duck to water.
“I’m a good friends with Des Clarke and did a bit of covering with him a few years back. When I got pregnant I got in touch with him to see if there was a job going anywhere. I came in and met Capital bosses and did lots of demos. They told me to go have the baby and get back in touch in January, which I did and then this show came up. Luckily, I’m a morning person.”
The ex-model added: “I know Bonnie is quite young but I’m determined to make it work. The hours also mean I’m away before she wakes up and back home for 11am and can spend the rest of the day with her.”
Laura admitted being a single parent is tough but although she has had lots of ups and downs in her personal life in the last 12 months, Bonnie is the best thing to ever have happened to her. She said: “I love being a mum. Bonnie is just so incredible and I can’t imagine my life without her. I remember when I was pregnant and going through a tough time personally I felt a little disconnected from her.
“I was really stressed about my personal situation and not having that family unit but from the moment she arrived I have been totally obsessed. Our mother and daughter relationship is more magical than I ever imagined.
“Everyone tells you there is no bond like it and they are right.”
Laura, who has hinted she might have some interesting TV work coming up later this year, added: “Yes it’s hard doing it by myself but I don’t know anything different.
“There are so many single parents out there who are in a worse situation than me, who can’t afford nappies or have to work long shifts to make ends meet. I’m a positive person and can conquer whatever is thrown at me.
“This is the happiest I’ve been ever. I’m a mum, I have secured a great job in radio and my own mum is going to look after Bonnie while I’m at work. I feel like a weight has been lifted.”
In a few weeks’ time Laura will join fellow Scots Love Islander Paige Turley as a red carpet host at the Daily Record Pride of Scotland Awards with TSB and she can’t wait.
Former dancer Laura, whose dream is to do Strictly, said: “I just love the Pride of Scotland Awards and am looking forward to teaming up with Paige and meeting all the wonderful unsung heroes and stars on the red carpet.
“We also got to be judges this year which was the hardest job in the world. People make Scotland great and it is only right that we honour them. Last year I was very pregnant so I am looking forward to putting on something a bit more sexy this year.”