'I can't wait for our first Christmas together'

A mother who has had her daughter returned to her care said she could not "wait for their first Christmas together".

Donna from Suffolk first spoke about her experience as a birth mother who had her children removed in a BBC article 18 months ago.

With the support of Ipswich charity Beam, Donna has turned her life around. She has a new job, a new partner and they are now planning their first Christmas as a family.

She said she would never have thought this would be happening in a "million years".

This has been a long journey for Donna. She was in an unhappy relationship which professionals wanted her to leave, when her three children were removed and taken into care.

The 40-year-old's two eldest children are now adults but her youngest was returned to her care a few months ago. Suffolk County Council's social services are supporting Donna and she said this had been "helpful".

The turnaround for Donna, who has a learning disability, really started nine years ago, when she began attending the charity Beam. The charity supports birth mothers through the emotional journey of enforced child separation.

Being with other mothers who understood her "heartache" has helped her regain her confidence.

"They know where I've been and what I have been through," she said.

Donna started working as a cleaner, became an ambassador for Beam and started a new relationship with a "caring man".

Now, Donna is grinning with happiness as she is making plans for her first Christmas with her daughter in her care.

"I saved up, because I have been working really hard and I'm taking her to to her first panto. I can't wait to see her little face," she said.

Christmas Day will be special too.

"In the past I couldn't get up with her, do her breakfast and open her presents with her. So I am going to be excited to see her opening her presents.

"I also got her, her first advent calendar. When I see her face when she goes to open it, it makes me happy too," she said.

Former barrister Cherie Parnell founded Beam in 2015 after years working in the family law courts. She was with Donna when her youngest child was taken from her.

"I actually went and sat with Donna and that won't leave me anytime soon. It was really painful to witness the brokenness of this young mum and she had just given birth."

Reflecting on where Donna is now, she said: "It is amazing. I always believed in Donna ...to see the strides she has taken is so impressive and I am absolutely delighted."

Suffolk County Council currently has around 900 children in its care, but this figure can fluctuate.

Bobby Bennett, the cabinet member for children and young people's services, said: "Wherever possible we know that living within their family network is the best place for a child... When coming into our care is in the best interest of a child, we always work with them and their families, to support their relationship with family time.

"We work constantly with children and their families to keep this under review and where significant positive progress has been made, we will look at ways to reunify children with their birth family."

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