Real Life Stories – 14th May

Want a little break to ease you into your evening? Then enjoy these real life stories.

Take it easy? Not for this pregnant lady

Some people never take a day off from the gym, and we call them dedicated (or obsessed). But mother-to-be Meghan Leatherman took it to a whole new level when she admitted lifting 215lb weights just two days before she gave birth.

In fact, she didn’t take any days off. She continued her hard-for-anyone routine: walking three miles every day with her dog, hitting the gym to lift weights four days a week and hiking four miles through the Arizona mountains once a week.

But the CrossFit devotee says it helped her with her pregnancy. In an interview, she said, ““I was never sick at all. There were times I just need to go in and lift when hormones are running a little stronger than I’m used to.” She then credited all the exercise with her four-hour labour.

She and her husband welcomed baby Florence into their family, and the 6lb 11oz baby is in perfectly fine health. As in mum Meghan. Obviously.

Family lost their dog in Hurricane Sandy and found him when looking for a replacement

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This story is so happy and sweet, we dare you not to tear up a little.

When Hurricane Sandy struck the East Coast of the US, Chuck and Elicia James lost everything – their home was destroyed, and their dog Reckless was gone. They searched everywhere for him, until all hope faded and they accepted that he had probably died in the storm.

Eighteen months later, they decided to fill the hole in their lives with a new rescue dog. They went to the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to find a new pet, and the first dog the carers brought in was one that looked just like Reckless. The dog, called Lucas, immediately recognised his family, though. James said, “He jumped three feet into the air. He immediately recognised us. And then the tears came. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place.”
For their part, the rescuers who cared for Reckless were thrilled to help him re-find his family. Their website said,” Lucas came to the Monmouth County SPCA in November and had been waiting for his forever family. Volunteers have even said he seemed like he was looking for someone. Now we know Lucas (who’s real name is Reckless) was searching for his family!”

Now, of course, Reckless is back with his family (and microchipped for safe measure).

Woman discovers she was registered as a boy at birth

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Have you ever felt frustrated with a government department that got your details wrong? Well, you could be Kim Walmsley. She lived for 49 years thinking everything was fine in her life. She had met and married Jack, had five kids and in 2004, emigrated from the UK to Australia with her family. When it came time to renew their four-year visa, however, they were in for a nasty shock: she was registered as a boy when she was born, so according to the paperwork, she and her husband of 23 years were locked in an illegal marriage!

It would seem fairly straightforward. After all, she is completely and obviously female in every biological sense. But officials refused to renew her visa, since she was technically in an illegal marriage. So she and her family had to pack up and move back to the UK, just to get the paperwork changed.

The General Register Office have admitted they made a mistake all those years ago, but they also say there’s nothing they can do to fix it. So the family are £150,000 worse off, and they are working with their local MP on a last resort – attempting to get Prime Minister David Cameron to step in to get her birth certificate corrected.

 

These real life stories range from the heart-warming to the shocking, and they give us plenty of food for thought. So what do you think? Let us know in the comments below!