Throwing myself into the ball pit, I grabbed hold of my daughter, Maggie, five, and lifted her into the air. ‘Let’s go on that now, Mummy!’ she squealed, pointing at the slide. So, picking up my son, Chester, three, we made our way to the top and whooshed back into the sea of balls.
We’d had such a fun day that the three of us couldn’t stop giggling, but as I pulled myself out, I felt a lump form in my throat. While I may have been doing what any other mum or dad would – having fun with their kids – for me it was a special moment, because, only 11 months earlier, weighing 17st 10lb and a size 24, I’d have been sitting on the sidelines.
‘The truth…
