28/07/2026
Fifteen years ago today, my daughter qualified as a barrister.
Looking at this photograph always reminds me just how extraordinary her journey has been.
She was born with and the beginning of her life was anything but easy. We spent the first 16 weeks at She underwent four operations, countless maxillofacial and orthodontic appointments, and for the first eight months she was fed through a nasogastric tube before progressing to a lamb’s teat.
We were incredibly fortunate to be cared for by some remarkable people. Dr Michael Mars was the kindest and most compassionate consultant anyone could wish for, dedicating his life not only to children here in the UK but also flying mercy missions to India with teams of medics to repair cleft palates and cleft lips. Dr Debbie Sell also changed her life, and with her support we eventually secured the speech therapy she needed. Sadly, families are still fighting that same battle today. She never let any of those early challenges define her. She met every obstacle with courage, determination and quiet strength.
Seeing her walk out as a newly qualified barrister that day was one of the proudest moments of my life. Not because of the title, but because I knew just how hard she had fought to get there.
Fifteen years on, I’m just as proud. ❤️
