Pick Me Up! Special Winter Special 2017

Life can be all about the right timing and that couldn’t ring more true for Rachelle (pg36) . Just hours after learning crucial life-saving moves, she had a stranger’s whole future in her hands. Some things can’t be rushed and Emma (pg34) refused to marry the love of her life until she was happy to have all eyes on her. Sianne (pg8) believed that too much time had passed to get justice for the abuse she suffered as a child but she’s urging victims to speak up. For Stephanie, (pg26) waiting for her dreams to be answered was a long and heartbreaking journey, but then gorgeous baby Ophelia came along to heal the pain. We’re in awe of super mum Annie (pg38) who had two sets of twins by the…

Night at the Museum It was amazing to see this whale skull at the National Museum of Scotland recently. It certainly puts into perspective how small we actually are! Kelly, Newcastle Does he have a pilot's licence? Its seems Alex from the Madagascar films made an appearance at the Helicopter Museum in Weston-Super-Mare. Kim, Weston-Super-Mare Up in the clouds I made this delicious cloud bread – instead of flour, it’s made from egg whites and cream cheese, but works great as a healthy carb-free alternative to bread. Angie, London Going batty at the zoo We met this little bat-eared fox at the zoo recently. He was so adorable, even though he looks like he needs a bit of a brush-through! Maggie, Chepstow Some muddy business Congrats to these muddy boys…

It's time for a catnap This is my 15-year-old cat, Alex. He loves nothing better than to stretch out in the garden for a well-deserved snooze. Lydia, Preston The perfect model This is my greyhound, Serge. He’s a bit camera-shy, but he’s very loving and well-behaved. I adore him! Alex, Newport They call it puggy love This is Bruno and Pixie the pug – their faces may not show it, but they really do love each other! Leah, Southampton…

‘Flesh fell from my face’ Mum-to-be savaged by devil dog Face fell off in chunks after attack Now she's moving on with her baby My friend Gemma’s mum took one look at my swollen belly. ‘Stay for dinner,’ she insisted. ‘Make sure baby’s fed!’ I was 29 weeks gone with my first, and had popped to see Gemma and her mum, Tracie Taylor, 49. After we’d enjoyed Tracie’s sausage and mash, she let in their dog, Koda, an Akita. I had two staffies, and I had always adored dogs. So I wasn’t worried when Koda followed us upstairs. We’d not been up there long when I got a text. As I was texting a reply, Koda turned to me, teeth bared. Before I could move, Koda’s jaws clamped onto my…

‘I knew exactly what was coming next’ ‘Nightmares woke me up sweating and screaming’ Pulling my favourite board game out of the cupboard, I couldn’t wait to play. ‘Time for Mouse Trap,’ I beamed excitedly. I was seven and my mum was out. She’d hired a babysitter to watch me. She was a friend of Mum’s – a girl in her late teens – and I loved hanging out with her. She watched Disney films with me and played games. Then, one evening when she babysat, she had a man with her. ‘This is my boyfriend, Nick,’ she explained to me. Nicholas Tilley, then 19, was tall and spotty. ‘Alright, kid,’ he said, ruffling my blonde hair. He seemed nice enough. And Mum didn’t mind him being there with…

‘He was gone for 11 months’ Slow, sleepy, and 108 years old, I’d never have guessed that my tortoise Toby was destined for adventure. But one day, I left the garden gate open… and by the time I got back out there, there was no sign of him. My four grandkids were round at the time. We searched the grass verges and field. But there was nothing. A week passed and there’d been no sightings of Toby. We’d painted our surname on his shell. But it had faded over the years. ‘We’ll never see him again,’ I realised, sadly. Then, one day, 11 months later, I got a call. ‘Hello. Have you lost anything?’ a man asked. ‘I lost my tortoise last year,’ I replied. ‘We’ve got him!’ he said.…