Woman beats anorexia to give birth ...
3 years after she was given 10 days to live

Hayley Wilde was given just over 10 days to live because her frame was so skeletal, but three years later, she has bounced back by giving birth to a baby boy, beating her eight year battle against anorexia.

Her son Michael was born last month weighing a healthy 7lb 14oz, something that would have been unthinkable when she was at her lowest ebb.

Hayley released a harrowing photo of herself when she weighed five stone to show the devastating effects of anorexia - and also to prove that however bleak things seem, there is always hope.

She was just 16 years old when the picture was taken. She had been fighting the condition since she was 11. Her 5ft 7in frame was down to 5st 1oz. Doctors warned her that if she didn’t put weight on, she would die.

She was hospitalised for months on end and fed through a tube. Her hair started to fall out and her periods stopped for four years. But expert medical help and the support of her parents saw her pull back from the brink of death, and last year she and her partner were thrilled to discover she was pregnant.

For someone who has spent years trying to be thin, the temptation to lose weight following birth can provoke a relapse.

"I had to eat a normal diet, for my baby," Hayley said.

"I was eating healthily because of him. I like to be thin, thinner than I am now, but I don't want to go back into hospital. I don't want to be like that picture again."

She says she thought being thinner would make her more popular, but now she's recovered, she's hoping to become a teacher.

Despite missing so much school, Hayley passed her A-levels and is training to become a teacher. Her mother, who has set up a support group, Fighting for Freedom with Anorexia Nervosa, said: "I hope by telling my story, other parents of anorexics will see there is hope."

If you have a health condition there is no need to fight it alone. As well as getting medical help, you can also pray for your recovery.

Attend the Night of Power taking place at different UCKG HelpCentres in and around London. Even if doctors, specialists, counsellors, etc have said they can no longer help you, God can.

Released on Wednesday, 02 April 2008