How it all began

"I had two ambitions in life - the first to become a model, the second to share my life with a husky. Unfortunately due to a serious illness the former was impossible. In the month of July 1998, I was told I would have to have a life-saving operation due to an ovarian cyst that had been developing undetected in my left ovary for the past ten years. Thankfully after being in surgery for three hours I made it through, well almost. I was alive but not only had the cyst been removed, but also my ovary and all the tubes down my left side. The gynaecologist also told me that I had a condition called Endometriosis and that mine was a serious case. Therefore I also had another cyst growing on my right ovary, which I was to be given treatment for. But the worst was still yet to come.

I couldn't believe it when I heard the words "you will never be able to have children". I had always dreamt of having a daughter and naming her Shania after the woman I adore most in this world - Shania Twain. After the worst six months of my life, I learnt to walk again and started getting about but my life had changed and I felt I had nothing to look forward to. I started getting interested in a certain breed of dog, this being the Siberian Husky. Funnily enough it all started by watching Due South. I fell in love instantly with the dog that played Diefenbaker. I knew that someday somehow I would have to have a dog of my own like that. I started to research the husky breed, and found that I had a deep passion for this animal. Thinking that I would one day bring home a Sibe of my own, was what kept me going through all the pain.

It wasn't long before I was rushed back into hospital for a scan as it was thought that the cyst on my right ovary was getting bigger and may need to be operated on. I had gained a lot of weight and was in tremendous pain as with the first cyst. I could've had a heart attack right there and then as the nurse told me I was seven month pregnant and in two months would be the mother to a beautiful baby girl. Again my life changed totally on the 29th February at 1.25am I held my daughter Shania Catlin Brooke Bailey in my arms. It was like a dream. I lay away all night just staring at her. I couldn't believe she was mine or how beautiful she was. I now had something else in my life to live for.