Fighting fit: Michael Douglas healthier and stronger as he walks daughter Carys to school

Healthy: Michael Douglas looked happy and fit as he walked daughter Carys to school this week


He was given the all-clear from his throat cancer battle in January.

And slowly and surely, over the last few months, Michael Douglas has been gaining weight, getting some colour back in his cheeks and looking himself again.

All of which was apparent when he walked daughter Carys to school on Wednesday morning.

They looked happy and relaxed in each other's company as they strolled in the warm sun through Manhattan.

Michael, 66, was dressed casually in baggy grey trousers and a light blue shirt and kept his face out of the sun under a baseball cap.

He looked proudly at his eight-year-old daughter as she skipped along and chatted to him.




All-clear: Michael has put on weight and is recovering well after his bout with cancer


The Wall Street star often walks his daughter to school from their New York apartment.

And he looked as though the trials, tribulations and heartache of the last year are finally starting to ease for the Oscar-winning star.

In April last year, his son Cameron was sentenced to five years in prison for possessing heroin and dealing large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine out of a New York hotel room.


Like mother like daughter: Carys, already the spitting image of Catherine, sings and dances her way along the street


Then last August, Michael was diagnosed with throat cancer which was at an advanced stage but after undergoing gruelling radiation and chemotherapy treatment, he has been given the all-clear.

But last month, his actress wife Catherine Zeta-Jones checked herself into Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut to seek treatment for bipolar II disorder.


Caring: Michael carries Carys's bag and takes her hand as he leads her across the road


Earlier this month, Michael was a guest on US chat show The View and spoke about his wife's treatment.

He said: 'It's like her 30,000 mile oil and lube check up. She had some issues, I joke about it but in the last year-and-a-half my oldest son got incarcerated, sent to federal prison, my ex-wife sued me, I got cancer.

'It's hard for your wife to say "I'm depressed", you know.'


In the clear: Michael and Catherine pose on the red carpet at the Golden Globes in Hollywood in January, shortly after Michael had been given the news that he had beaten throat cancer

source: dailymail

Fighting fit: Michael Douglas healthier and stronger as he walks daughter Carys to school

Healthy: Michael Douglas looked happy and fit as he walked daughter Carys to school this week


He was given the all-clear from his throat cancer battle in January.

And slowly and surely, over the last few months, Michael Douglas has been gaining weight, getting some colour back in his cheeks and looking himself again.

All of which was apparent when he walked daughter Carys to school on Wednesday morning.

They looked happy and relaxed in each other's company as they strolled in the warm sun through Manhattan.

Michael, 66, was dressed casually in baggy grey trousers and a light blue shirt and kept his face out of the sun under a baseball cap.

He looked proudly at his eight-year-old daughter as she skipped along and chatted to him.




All-clear: Michael has put on weight and is recovering well after his bout with cancer


The Wall Street star often walks his daughter to school from their New York apartment.

And he looked as though the trials, tribulations and heartache of the last year are finally starting to ease for the Oscar-winning star.

In April last year, his son Cameron was sentenced to five years in prison for possessing heroin and dealing large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine out of a New York hotel room.


Like mother like daughter: Carys, already the spitting image of Catherine, sings and dances her way along the street


Then last August, Michael was diagnosed with throat cancer which was at an advanced stage but after undergoing gruelling radiation and chemotherapy treatment, he has been given the all-clear.

But last month, his actress wife Catherine Zeta-Jones checked herself into Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Connecticut to seek treatment for bipolar II disorder.


Caring: Michael carries Carys's bag and takes her hand as he leads her across the road


Earlier this month, Michael was a guest on US chat show The View and spoke about his wife's treatment.

He said: 'It's like her 30,000 mile oil and lube check up. She had some issues, I joke about it but in the last year-and-a-half my oldest son got incarcerated, sent to federal prison, my ex-wife sued me, I got cancer.

'It's hard for your wife to say "I'm depressed", you know.'


In the clear: Michael and Catherine pose on the red carpet at the Golden Globes in Hollywood in January, shortly after Michael had been given the news that he had beaten throat cancer

source: dailymail

Superslim Princess Beatrice keeps shedding pounds thanks to 'water and fruit diet'

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Slim Bea: Princess Beatrice cuts a svelte figure compared with pictures of her in a larger frock of similar hue she wore two years ago, right


Does Princess Beatrice's yo-yo figure know no bounds?

The 22-year-old, who has struggled with her weight in the past, turned more than a few heads this weekend with her incredibly svelte figure, which appears to have shrunk further than ever.

Beatrice, who shed 2st before last year’s London Marathon, showed off her even slimmer frame as she attended a polo event at Cowdray Park in West Sussex wearing a short blue belted cocktail dress.

It was a dramatic contrast with a larger frock of similar hue she wore two years ago.


Young love: Beatrice was at the event with boyfriend Dave Clark

She now looks at least two sizes smaller, and credits a fitness regime based on exercise, lots of water and plenty of fruit and vegetables, with keeping the weight off.

Speaking about the pictures, she said at the time: 'I could probably do with losing the odd pound though, so perhaps it's the kick I need.

'It was such an unflattering bikini and I've got one that's so much nicer, so I could have kicked myself for wearing it.

'I thought people were a bit mean, although I know it comes with the territory.
'The trouble is, I don't have much confidence so it can be quite upsetting.'


Inspired: It was the unflattering pictures of the princess on a beach in St Barts that spurred her on to lose two stone and run the London Marathon as part of a charity team tied together


There has been no let up this year for the princess, who took part in the Windsor half marathon in September.

She managed to complete the run in a very respectable two hours and 16 minutes.

Then, in April she completed the London Marathon with her American boyfriend David Clark as part of a charity team tied together.

They formed a human caterpillar of 34 people who ran the 26.2mile course together along with Sir Richard Branson's two children Sam and Holly.


source: dailymail

Superslim Princess Beatrice keeps shedding pounds thanks to 'water and fruit diet'

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Slim Bea: Princess Beatrice cuts a svelte figure compared with pictures of her in a larger frock of similar hue she wore two years ago, right


Does Princess Beatrice's yo-yo figure know no bounds?

The 22-year-old, who has struggled with her weight in the past, turned more than a few heads this weekend with her incredibly svelte figure, which appears to have shrunk further than ever.

Beatrice, who shed 2st before last year’s London Marathon, showed off her even slimmer frame as she attended a polo event at Cowdray Park in West Sussex wearing a short blue belted cocktail dress.

It was a dramatic contrast with a larger frock of similar hue she wore two years ago.


Young love: Beatrice was at the event with boyfriend Dave Clark

She now looks at least two sizes smaller, and credits a fitness regime based on exercise, lots of water and plenty of fruit and vegetables, with keeping the weight off.

Speaking about the pictures, she said at the time: 'I could probably do with losing the odd pound though, so perhaps it's the kick I need.

'It was such an unflattering bikini and I've got one that's so much nicer, so I could have kicked myself for wearing it.

'I thought people were a bit mean, although I know it comes with the territory.
'The trouble is, I don't have much confidence so it can be quite upsetting.'


Inspired: It was the unflattering pictures of the princess on a beach in St Barts that spurred her on to lose two stone and run the London Marathon as part of a charity team tied together


There has been no let up this year for the princess, who took part in the Windsor half marathon in September.

She managed to complete the run in a very respectable two hours and 16 minutes.

Then, in April she completed the London Marathon with her American boyfriend David Clark as part of a charity team tied together.

They formed a human caterpillar of 34 people who ran the 26.2mile course together along with Sir Richard Branson's two children Sam and Holly.


source: dailymail

Tuned in: Hospital takes classical approach to soothe newborns... by playing Mozart through headphones

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Lullaby: Newborn Nela listens to Mozart in Slovakia


A clinic in Slovakia has found a way to comfort newborn babies that are separated from their mothers for treatment - classical music.

Using regular size headphones that appear gigantic on the babies' tiny heads, the maternity ward in Kosice-Saca hospital has them listening to Mozart or Vivaldi.

During a recent visit to the clinic, chief Dr. Slavka Viragova said the music functions as a replacement for a mother's voice and is helping the babies breathe regularly and maintain a proper heart beat.

It seems to have struck a chord with two-day-old Nela, below.


Snooze: Baby Bruno drifts off to Vivaldi


Dr. Slavka Viragová, who launched the music project, claims that Mozart helps the infant to recall the mother when she is not with them.

She said: 'The birth trauma is enormously stressful for the baby. Music therapy helps a baby to gain weight, get rid of stress and handle pain better.'

The babies listen to soothing music 5-6 times a day, from Mozart to natural forest sounds. Nurses also use the method to care for premature babies as it helps to stabilise their breathing.


Radio gaga: Newborn baby listens to music which will help him relax without his mother




Nap time: Staff play classical music to little Nela


source: dailymail

22-stone bride-to-be orders size 12 wedding dress... and then SLIMS to squeeze into it

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Beautiful bride: Beth Wheeler lost 10 stone ahead of her wedding so that she could fit into her dream dress


Almost all brides try to slim down a little ahead of their big day. However Beth Wheeler was more dedicated to her diet plan than most.

The 36-year-old weighed 22 stone when she got engaged.

But she ordered a size 12 wedding dress and put herself on a strict diet so she could shed 10 stone and fit into her dream gown a little more than a year later.

She embarked on a healthy eating and living campaign and shed more than half her body weight to reach her target of 12 stone just four days before her wedding at Halswell House near Bridgwater, Somerset.


In his wedding speech, James joked: 'When you get married you often get more than you expected, well I'm getting less'


'Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight will know that you can do it on your own for a few weeks but then easily become fed up so having something to aim for kept me focused.'

Beth weighed 22st 1lb when she joined her Weight Watchers group in April 2009.

The weight began to fall off steadily and she ordered her stunning wedding gown in October 2010, telling the seamstress that she aimed to be a size 12 on her wedding day.

Beth even managed to resist the temptations of festive food over the Christmas period and went on to shed the pounds through to her wedding day.

She was delighted when she stepped on the scales on February 20 this year - and found she had finally reached her goal of 12st.


source: dailymail

22-stone bride-to-be orders size 12 wedding dress... and then SLIMS to squeeze into it

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Beautiful bride: Beth Wheeler lost 10 stone ahead of her wedding so that she could fit into her dream dress


Almost all brides try to slim down a little ahead of their big day. However Beth Wheeler was more dedicated to her diet plan than most.

The 36-year-old weighed 22 stone when she got engaged.

But she ordered a size 12 wedding dress and put herself on a strict diet so she could shed 10 stone and fit into her dream gown a little more than a year later.

She embarked on a healthy eating and living campaign and shed more than half her body weight to reach her target of 12 stone just four days before her wedding at Halswell House near Bridgwater, Somerset.


In his wedding speech, James joked: 'When you get married you often get more than you expected, well I'm getting less'


'Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight will know that you can do it on your own for a few weeks but then easily become fed up so having something to aim for kept me focused.'

Beth weighed 22st 1lb when she joined her Weight Watchers group in April 2009.

The weight began to fall off steadily and she ordered her stunning wedding gown in October 2010, telling the seamstress that she aimed to be a size 12 on her wedding day.

Beth even managed to resist the temptations of festive food over the Christmas period and went on to shed the pounds through to her wedding day.

She was delighted when she stepped on the scales on February 20 this year - and found she had finally reached her goal of 12st.


source: dailymail

She's one hot Mama! Natalie Cassidy shows off her bikini body after losing two stone

By SARAH BULL

Laughs all round: Natalie, who is thrilled with her new figure, appeared to be in good spirits as she sat on the edge of the pool with little Eliza


She has succeeded in losing two stone in three months through a healthy diet and exercise regime.

And now Natalie Cassidy has decided to show off her figure for the first time by donning a flowery bikini while on holiday in Cyprus with her daughter Eliza.

The 28-year-old actress looked thrilled with her new figure as she enjoyed a dip in the pool at the exclusive Aphrodites Hills resort.


Yo-yo dieter: Natalie previously slimmed down from a size 16 to a slender size eight in 2007


Natalie, who had gone up to 12st 7lbs during her pregnancy, has regained her slim figure after giving birth to Eliza in September 2010.

She then stepped up her exercise and diet regime in February and lost a further stone and a half and had dropped to nine stone and 12lbs by last month.

The former EastEnders star has had a constant battle with her weight after dropping from a size 16 to a slender eight in 2007.


Success: Natalie's fitness DVD had huge sales


However, shortly after launching her fitness DVD, which became the fastest-selling fitness DVD ever, Natalie started to see the weight creep back on.

She also admitted using laxatives to help her lose weight and said she was 'bordering on having an eating disorder'.

But this time the actress has slimmed down healthily and safely and is hoping to maintain her slender figure for the foreseeable future.


source:dailymail

She's one hot Mama! Natalie Cassidy shows off her bikini body after losing two stone

By SARAH BULL

Laughs all round: Natalie, who is thrilled with her new figure, appeared to be in good spirits as she sat on the edge of the pool with little Eliza


She has succeeded in losing two stone in three months through a healthy diet and exercise regime.

And now Natalie Cassidy has decided to show off her figure for the first time by donning a flowery bikini while on holiday in Cyprus with her daughter Eliza.

The 28-year-old actress looked thrilled with her new figure as she enjoyed a dip in the pool at the exclusive Aphrodites Hills resort.


Yo-yo dieter: Natalie previously slimmed down from a size 16 to a slender size eight in 2007


Natalie, who had gone up to 12st 7lbs during her pregnancy, has regained her slim figure after giving birth to Eliza in September 2010.

She then stepped up her exercise and diet regime in February and lost a further stone and a half and had dropped to nine stone and 12lbs by last month.

The former EastEnders star has had a constant battle with her weight after dropping from a size 16 to a slender eight in 2007.


Success: Natalie's fitness DVD had huge sales


However, shortly after launching her fitness DVD, which became the fastest-selling fitness DVD ever, Natalie started to see the weight creep back on.

She also admitted using laxatives to help her lose weight and said she was 'bordering on having an eating disorder'.

But this time the actress has slimmed down healthily and safely and is hoping to maintain her slender figure for the foreseeable future.


source:dailymail

Rare conjoined twins who share a single body born in China

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Rare condition: The two-head conjoined twin girls were born in a hospital in Suining city in southwest China's Sichuan province last week


A woman has given birth to a baby girl with two heads in the Chinese province of Sichuan.

The conjoined twins, who share a single body, two arms and two legs, were born by Caesarean section last week, according to officials.

The sisters are believed to suffer from a condition known as dicephalic parapagus - an extremely unusual form of twin conjoinment where only a single body develops.


Intensive care: The twins will require around-the-clock attention


Because they share the same body, it is not possible to separate dicephalic parapagus conjoined twins.

The birth of dicephalic parapagus conjoined twins - who develop after a fertilized egg cell fails to divide fully - is extremely rare, with most cases occurring in southwest Asia and Africa.


Sister act: Conjoined twins are extremely rare, occurring once in 100,000 births, while the dicephalic parapagus form of the condition is almost unheard of


However, there have been instances of dicephalic parapagus twins being born in the West.

In July 2009, Lisa Chamberlain, from Portsmouth, gave birth to twins Joshua and Jayden, who shared the same single body. Joshua was stillborn while his brother lived for 32 minutes before dying in his mother's arms.

And in the U.S. dicephalic parapagus twins Abigail and Brittany Hensel have become media celebrities, appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show and featuring in television documentaries.

The sisters, now 21, from Minnesota, appear to share a perfectly normal single body, although in fact several of their internal organs are doubled up.

While each is able to eat and write separately and simultaneously, activities such as walking and driving a car must be co-ordinated.


Two-headed baby: Amazing conjoined twins born in China


Conjoined Twins, Abby & Brittany Hensel turn 16


source: dailymail

Rare conjoined twins who share a single body born in China

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Rare condition: The two-head conjoined twin girls were born in a hospital in Suining city in southwest China's Sichuan province last week


A woman has given birth to a baby girl with two heads in the Chinese province of Sichuan.

The conjoined twins, who share a single body, two arms and two legs, were born by Caesarean section last week, according to officials.

The sisters are believed to suffer from a condition known as dicephalic parapagus - an extremely unusual form of twin conjoinment where only a single body develops.


Intensive care: The twins will require around-the-clock attention


Because they share the same body, it is not possible to separate dicephalic parapagus conjoined twins.

The birth of dicephalic parapagus conjoined twins - who develop after a fertilized egg cell fails to divide fully - is extremely rare, with most cases occurring in southwest Asia and Africa.


Sister act: Conjoined twins are extremely rare, occurring once in 100,000 births, while the dicephalic parapagus form of the condition is almost unheard of


However, there have been instances of dicephalic parapagus twins being born in the West.

In July 2009, Lisa Chamberlain, from Portsmouth, gave birth to twins Joshua and Jayden, who shared the same single body. Joshua was stillborn while his brother lived for 32 minutes before dying in his mother's arms.

And in the U.S. dicephalic parapagus twins Abigail and Brittany Hensel have become media celebrities, appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show and featuring in television documentaries.

The sisters, now 21, from Minnesota, appear to share a perfectly normal single body, although in fact several of their internal organs are doubled up.

While each is able to eat and write separately and simultaneously, activities such as walking and driving a car must be co-ordinated.


Two-headed baby: Amazing conjoined twins born in China


Conjoined Twins, Abby & Brittany Hensel turn 16


source: dailymail

What a conundrum! Carol Vorderman can't figure out

By SARAH BULL

It's a puzzle! Carol Vorderman struggles to get into her car in a tight white dress after appearing on This Morning today


She's a huge fan of tight pencil dresses, saying they push her up and pull her in just where she needs it.

But sometimes it seems they perhaps pull Carol Vorderman in a bit too much - judging by pictures of the presenter struggling to get into her car in a white zip dress today.

The 50-year-old star tried various ways of getting into the vehicle in an elegant and ladylike fashion, but ended up having to lift up her knee and swivel her way in as the dress proved too restrictive.


This way or that way? But Vorderman kept a big smile on her face throughout her predicament


However, Vorderman managed to stay smiling throughout her predicament, grinning widely for the waiting photographers before finally successfully navigating her way into the vehicle.

Earlier in the day, Vorderman tweeted fans to warn them to expect a special outfit when she appeared on This Morning to do the newspaper review with comedian Iain Lee.

She wrote: 'Warning. This Morning about 10.30 I shall be reviewing the newspapers and will be in danger of dressing my age!! '


Got the answer: Vorderman eventually decided to lift up her knee and swivel her way into the vehicle


Vorderman has become something of a sex symbol in recent years and is undoubtedly in incredible shape for a 50-year-old woman.

And she said recently she is happy with her figure and has learned to accept her womanly curves.


Stunning: The white dress flattered Vorderman's hourglass figure

She explained: 'When you’re in your 20s and 30s you often think “I don’t like this bit, I don’t like that bit, I wish I could shave a few inches off here”.

‘But when you’re older you’re just blooming grateful for what you’ve got! For instance, I’ve learned that women spend lots of time worrying about cellulite but men just don’t see it, particularly as they get older themselves and their eyesight goes too!

'At this age you don’t beat yourself up any more - what’s the point? I’m comfortable in my skin, I’m really happy and that’s all that counts.'


source: dailymail

conundrum : a problem that is difficult to deal with

What a conundrum! Carol Vorderman can't figure out

By SARAH BULL

It's a puzzle! Carol Vorderman struggles to get into her car in a tight white dress after appearing on This Morning today


She's a huge fan of tight pencil dresses, saying they push her up and pull her in just where she needs it.

But sometimes it seems they perhaps pull Carol Vorderman in a bit too much - judging by pictures of the presenter struggling to get into her car in a white zip dress today.

The 50-year-old star tried various ways of getting into the vehicle in an elegant and ladylike fashion, but ended up having to lift up her knee and swivel her way in as the dress proved too restrictive.


This way or that way? But Vorderman kept a big smile on her face throughout her predicament


However, Vorderman managed to stay smiling throughout her predicament, grinning widely for the waiting photographers before finally successfully navigating her way into the vehicle.

Earlier in the day, Vorderman tweeted fans to warn them to expect a special outfit when she appeared on This Morning to do the newspaper review with comedian Iain Lee.

She wrote: 'Warning. This Morning about 10.30 I shall be reviewing the newspapers and will be in danger of dressing my age!! '


Got the answer: Vorderman eventually decided to lift up her knee and swivel her way into the vehicle


Vorderman has become something of a sex symbol in recent years and is undoubtedly in incredible shape for a 50-year-old woman.

And she said recently she is happy with her figure and has learned to accept her womanly curves.


Stunning: The white dress flattered Vorderman's hourglass figure

She explained: 'When you’re in your 20s and 30s you often think “I don’t like this bit, I don’t like that bit, I wish I could shave a few inches off here”.

‘But when you’re older you’re just blooming grateful for what you’ve got! For instance, I’ve learned that women spend lots of time worrying about cellulite but men just don’t see it, particularly as they get older themselves and their eyesight goes too!

'At this age you don’t beat yourself up any more - what’s the point? I’m comfortable in my skin, I’m really happy and that’s all that counts.'


source: dailymail

conundrum : a problem that is difficult to deal with

'I thought I was dying!' Size 8 beauty therapist stunned when she went to the bathroom... and gave BIRTH

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Surprise birth: Lauren Peberdy had no idea she was pregnant when she gave birth to baby Dylan-James


Lauren Peberdy was stunned when she gave birth to an 8lb 7oz baby – as she had no idea she was pregnant.

In fact she'd been to the doctor for a contraceptive pill check-up just a fortnight earlier, and the doctor had said her weight and blood pressure were fine.

Lauren, a size 8 beauty therapist, was using the lavatory at her boyfriend’s house when her water broke and little Dylan-James made his surprise arrival.


Five months pregnant: Lauren shows no signs of a bump


‘I didn’t know what was happening at first. I thought I was dying’, said Lauren, 20, from Connah’s Quay, in Deeside, North Wales.

‘By the time the paramedics arrived five minutes later I had given birth on the bathroom floor,’ she said.

It was an even bigger surprise for Gavin Jones, 21, who had seen no weight gain or unusual cravings from his girlfriend of two years, who was on the pill.

A picture of Lauren, taken when she was five-and-a-half months pregnant - but had no idea - shows her looking amazingly thin.

Dylan-James, now three months old, lives with Lauren at her parents' home in Shotton, and visits Gavin regularly at his parents' home in Flintshire, North Wales.


source: dailymail

'I thought I was dying!' Size 8 beauty therapist stunned when she went to the bathroom... and gave BIRTH

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Surprise birth: Lauren Peberdy had no idea she was pregnant when she gave birth to baby Dylan-James


Lauren Peberdy was stunned when she gave birth to an 8lb 7oz baby – as she had no idea she was pregnant.

In fact she'd been to the doctor for a contraceptive pill check-up just a fortnight earlier, and the doctor had said her weight and blood pressure were fine.

Lauren, a size 8 beauty therapist, was using the lavatory at her boyfriend’s house when her water broke and little Dylan-James made his surprise arrival.


Five months pregnant: Lauren shows no signs of a bump


‘I didn’t know what was happening at first. I thought I was dying’, said Lauren, 20, from Connah’s Quay, in Deeside, North Wales.

‘By the time the paramedics arrived five minutes later I had given birth on the bathroom floor,’ she said.

It was an even bigger surprise for Gavin Jones, 21, who had seen no weight gain or unusual cravings from his girlfriend of two years, who was on the pill.

A picture of Lauren, taken when she was five-and-a-half months pregnant - but had no idea - shows her looking amazingly thin.

Dylan-James, now three months old, lives with Lauren at her parents' home in Shotton, and visits Gavin regularly at his parents' home in Flintshire, North Wales.


source: dailymail

Two little friends... united by courage

By PAUL SIMS

Here's how to do it: Ellie (right) shows off her new prosthetic leg to Charlotte, who hopes to get her first pair in a few months


Smiling together, the two pretty blonde girls could easily be mistaken as sisters, not new friends with a unique bond.

The lives of Ellie Challis and Charlotte Nott have taken almost identical paths. Both started life as healthy babies — until they contracted meningitis and had to have all of their limbs amputated.

The incredible survival story of Ellie, now seven, gripped the nation after she fell ill in 2005 at just 16 months old. And in December, three-year-old Charlotte narrowly survived the illness, but at the cost of her arms and legs.


Hello, pet: Seven-year-old Ellie, who contracted meningitis in 2005, makes friends with the lambs during a day at a farm


‘Charlotte put her stumps up against Ellie’s to say hello,’ said her mother Jenny Daniels, 29, yesterday. ‘She was so happy to see someone else with stumps just like hers.

‘Ellie was great — she showed Charlotte that she could get around easily with or without prosthetic legs and Charlotte hobbled after her. It was very special.’

The girls spent the day giggling with one another as they cuddled rabbits and fed lambs at Mead Open Farm in Bedfordshire.

‘I love Ellie’s legs and I can’t wait until I get some, too, so we can run around together,’ said Charlotte, from Oxford.


You have a go: Little Ellie is all smiles as she shows a curious Charlotte how to operate the wheelchair


Ellie’s parents Lisa, 37, and Paul, 47, have helped her learn to walk on prosthetics, start school and ride a bike. ‘I know exactly what Jenny is going through,’ said Mrs Challis.

‘I remember thinking that Ellie would never have a normal life. But it’s great that we’ve been able to show Charlotte and her family that there’s very little Ellie can’t do.’

Charlotte’s parents - Jenny, an administrator for a book publisher, and air conditioning repairman Alex Nott, also 29 - are just starting to come to terms with what has happened to their daughter.


I'll race you: Charlotte (left) and Ellie giggle together as they get behind the wheels of toy cars


‘When Charlotte caught meningitis, my world fell apart. I was terrified about what the future held for her,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘So to see Ellie running around was so special to me - it has given me hope for Charlotte’s future.’

Ellie became the youngest person ever fitted with £10,000 carbon ‘flex-foot’ legs two years ago.

Ellie also let Charlotte have a go on her wheelchair - it is too tiring for her to use her prosthetic legs all the time. She controls it with the stumps of her arms.

Charlotte will have to wait until she is five before the NHS can provide her with a wheelchair.

She hopes to get her first pair of prosthetic limbs in the next few months once her wounds heal.

‘I still say thank you every day that Charlotte is still here with us,’ said Miss Daniels.

‘Watching her playing with Ellie was a miracle.’

source: dailymail