A MUM felt her “soul leave her body” as she was told of her unborn baby’s devastating diagnosis.

Madysen Wilcox experienced spotting when she was six weeks along, with doctors initially fearing she’d had a miscarriage.

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Just a few weeks later, the 29-year-old mum was “blindsided” by a another devastating blow.

Madysen her husband, Darin, 34, were left dumbstruck when they were told that their baby’s brain had failed to form properly.

The mum-of-two, from Smithfield, Utah, USA, was so shocked by the diagnosis that she felt like she was undergoing an out-of-body experience.

She said: “Looking back on the day when we got the diagnosis, it felt like my soul left my body and I was watching myself react to the news.

“The ultrasound tech was very quiet for what felt like forever as she was looking at Charlie’s brain and heart.

“She then left to go get the doctor and he came in and told us the diagnosis.

“As soon as I heard it, it was at that moment, my soul left my body.

“The doctor told us the news, that his brain never formed into two hemispheres and his heart had some major defects as well. And that the diagnosis was fatal.”

Her unborn son, named Charlie, was diagnosed with Alobar Holoprosencephaly, a birth defect that means a baby’s brain doesn’t form properly or separate into right and left hemispheres.

The brain is normally divided into two halves, but they remain in contact and communication through nerve fibres.

The division allows the brain to process several pieces of information and perform several actions at once.

When your brain doesn’t divide properly in development, as in Holoprosencephaly, it causes several physical and neurological issues.

The condition is estimated to affect every one in 7,500 births, according to the NHS.

Many babies with the condition don’t survive full term.

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Madysen and Darin were faced with an “impossible decision” as they were offered two options by doctors: either to terminate the pregnancy or to see it through.

After continuously switching between the two options, the couple at first decided to terminate the pregnancy immediately as they didn’t want their unborn son to suffer any longer.

But Madysen and her husband – who are devout Christians – soon felt this wasn’t the right decision for them.

The mum chose to carry baby Charlie to term, saying the decision helped bring the family closer together.

Madysen already share two children together, Hayvn, six, and Harvey, three. They aren’t sure how long Charlie will survive once he’s born.

Reflecting on her ordeal, Madysen explained: “We had been trying to get pregnant for almost a year and we finally found out we were pregnant in February 2024.

“We started to have some complications when I was about six weeks pregnant.

“I started having some spotting and bleeding and the doctors initially suspected a miscarriage.

“My whole world felt like it was crashing down, and I was suffocating.

“It was all hitting me that we had just been told our baby will not survive.

“We went into that appointment suspecting Down Syndrome, not a fatal diagnosis.

“It was the last thing we ever expected to hear. The rest of that day, I just couldn’t stop crying, the tears felt like they would never stop.”

Madysen said that carrying Charlie full term had brought her and Darin closer together and helped her connect with other mums going through similar situations.

“Looking back, I can clearly see God’s hand in our lives and how he nudged us along to make the best decision for our family.

“Carrying Charlie has blessed me in more ways than I can count.

“He has brought me and Darin closer as a couple, he has brought us closer as a family.

“He’s also helped me connect with so many other wonderful mums who have been through something similar.”

But the mum still describes her pregnancy with Charlie as a “roller-coaster”.

Madysen said: “The roller coaster of emotions throughout this process has been exhausting.

“Prior to finding out Charlie’s official diagnosis, there were days where doctors told us things looked great and that everything was fine, then there were days where they were very concerned and we had to anxiously wait for test results, not knowing anything, and anticipating the worst.”

The mum is preparing herself for the agonising possibility of having to say goodbye to Charlie soon after he is born.

“Since his diagnosis is so rare, everything is a case-by-case scenario.

“So, we really have no idea how long he will live. We have had to prepare ourselves for every outcome basically.

“The hardest part with that is knowing we could meet him and immediately have to say goodbye.

“I was pregnant at the same time as two of my best friends this year and seeing them take home their healthy babies has been excruciating.”

A MUM’s bid to get rid of her eye bags for her 50th birthday backfired – when a “botched” op in Turkey left her with DROOPING eyelids like a basset hound.

Anita Brawders decided to treat herself for her major milestone last year and booked a surgery to have her lower eye bags removed in Turkey.

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The now 51-year-old paid €1,000 for the operation in which surgeons made a small incision under the eye and pulled the skin up.

However, within days of arriving back home, Anita noticed the area below her eyes was beginning to droop – exposing her lower eyelid.

The bar manager returned to Turkey for revision surgery but claims the lower lids dropped once again within a matter of days.

Devastated, the mum-of-three said she looked “disfigured” – and missed out on family events, as well as her 50th, due to her “botched” appearance.

The mum-of-three has since had another revision surgery in Canada that was successful – but caims she’s spent more than €10,000 on operations, flights, and time off work.

Now, the mum, who lives in Kilkenny, Ireland, wants to warn others against travelling to Turkey for surgery.

Anita said: “About three months after having my upper eyelid surgery in Lithuania, I started noticing my eyebags.

“I was coming up to 50 and just wanted to feel better about myself. It was a little 50th birthday present to myself.

“I started researching about six months beforehand and this clinic came up in Turkey. Everything looked good with the clinic.

“After coming back home, it just didn’t seem right. It wasn’t healing. I took the plasters off and it didn’t look right.

“I started texting my co-ordinator and they said it was just part of the healing process.

“Then about three weeks after my surgery, they decided to bring me back and reassured me they could fix what had happened.”

Anita opted to go under the knife again in Turkey to help fix her right eye but within four days of arriving home, the skin dropped.

‘Ruined my 50th’

Anita said: “It was devastating. I could see no end to it. I lived with this for a year.

“I missed out on a lot because of it. I didn’t have my planned party as I was supposed to.

“I had weddings that I missed out on. My family were shocked. I felt disfigured and I looked disfigured.

“I felt like I had been botched. It ruined my 50th.

“I had no self-esteem. I wouldn’t go anywhere but working at my own bar. I felt like I couldn’t go out.

“I hated looking at myself in the mirror. You can’t hide it, it’s the first thing you see. I didn’t want to live like that for the rest of my life.”

After a year of living with her ‘botched’ eye, Anita underwent revision surgery in Canada in August to help prevent the skin from dropping again.

I regret going to Turkey about my surgery. You’re signing things in Turkey, you have no idea what you’re signing. It’s dangerous.

Anita Brawders

Anita said: “It looks amazing compared to what it did look like. It changed my life.

“I’m in the healing process at the moment. I’m doing well, I’m not sure if I have to go back for another procedure. He saved my life.”

Anita claims the clinic offered her €2,400 in compensation after the operation – which she described as “an insult”.

Anita said: “It was an insult what they offered. That’s not going to cover half my costs.

“I spent money on flights, wages, my business, taking time out of work – it didn’t near cover my cost.

‘Feel so let down’

“The surgeon never took responsibility for his actions. They told me every procedure is a risk and you’ve signed your paperwork.

“I haven’t heard back from them since. I feel so let down. I don’t want them to do this to anyone else.

“I regret going to Turkey about my surgery.

“You’re signing things in Turkey, you have no idea what you’re signing. It’s dangerous.”

IF YOU notice a ‘stitch-like’ pain in the lower part of your tummy or changes to your bowel habits, you might put it down to IBS or eating something funny.

But these uncomfortable symptoms may be caused by a little-known gut condition that’s actually surprisingly common.

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Known as diverticular disease, it affects a whopping one in three people in their lifetime, according to Guts UK.

Despite being so common, few people could name the symptoms it causes or even know of its existence, the digestive health charity warned.

As a result, people with hidden diverticular disease may not get diagnosed and can continue to suffer agonising symptoms.

In honour of Diverticular Disease Awareness Week, Guts UK called on Brits experiencing telltale signs of the condition to get them checked out.

The often painful disease is caused by small pouches forming in the wall of the colon, known as diverticula.

Although the exact cause of diverticular disease is still unknown, it mostly affects people over the age of 40 and causes a range of digestive symptoms – such as bloating and stomach pains.

Common symptoms of ultra-common diverticular disease include:

1. Lower abdominal pain
2. Bloating
3. Change in bowel habits – such as diarrhoea or constipation
4. Mucus or blood in your poo

The pattern of symptoms tends to differ from one person to the next, but most will get crampy pains that come and go.

The pain is also commonly focused in the left side of the belly, where the diverticula most often form, though some people may get pain on the right side.

The pain and bloating can often start after eating food and may get better after going to the loo or passing gas, Guts UK said.

Meanwhile, many people with the condition can see changes to their poo habits, being struck with diarrhoea one day and constipation the next.

It’s important to get symptoms of diverticular disease checked out, as they’re similar to symptoms caused by more serious conditions such as bowel cancer.

Don’t assume that they are solely caused diverticular disease and get them checked out, the charity urged.

Sophie Miller, 23, from the north of Scotland, shared her experience with diverticular disease after being diagnosed with it in 2023.

She said: “I’d been having stomach pains, an intense stitch-like, uncomfortable pain around my bowels and I noticed blood when I went to the toilet.

“I was really embarrassed, so I didn’t say anything to anyone for months.

“Eventually the pain became too intense and I had to go to hospital and, after further tests, I was diagnosed with diverticular disease.

“I’ve since had help to manage my physical symptoms, as well as the anxiety I used to suffer from as a result of my flare-ups.

“I’d encourage anyone experiencing symptoms to see their doctor. If it is diverticular disease then they can help you manage it.”

Most people with the disease will never have any complications from it and can carry on with their lives as normal.

But some people may develop symptoms that can become difficult to live with.

And in some cases, those with diverticular disease can get complications like inflammation, high temperature, nausea, vomiting or serious bowel conditions, such as colitis or bowel perforation.

NHS England stats show that there were over 140,000 hospital admissions for diverticular disease in the last 12 months and this number is on the rise.

People can develop diverticulitis when one or more diverticula become inflamed or infected.

This can cause symptoms like worsening abdominal pain, a high temperature, nausea and being sick.

You should seek medical help immediately if you experience any of these.

Thought we still can’t be sure what exactly causes diverticular disease, it is more common with people with an unhealthy weight.

It’s also thought to be linked to lifestyle factors.

Although it’s more likely to develop after the age of 40, cases are now on the rise in younger people, the charity warned.

While there is no specific medical treatment for diverticular disease, patients can manage their symptoms and reduce the risk of them worsening by tweaking their diet to eat more fibre and losing weight if appropriate.

Doctors may also prescribe simple painkillers, medicines to reduce stomach cramps, constipation or diarrhoea, and antibiotics if necessary.

Suzanne Hudson, CEO at Guts UK, said: “It’s alarming to think that, during their lifetime, one in three people may be living with diverticular disease without knowing it.

“We want to empower individuals to understand their gut health better and to seek help if they experience any symptoms.

“Awareness is the first step towards improved quality of life for millions of people.”

You can use Guts UK’s Poo-torial tool to better understand your own toilet habits and check your poo for concerning changes.