I found out I was pregnant after breaking up with my boyfriend of 2 years from a toxic and emotionally abusive relationship.

I fell in love with this incredible human growing inside me, I wanted to keep my baby more than anything in the world. But the father, my ex, told me if I kept the baby, he wouldn’t allow me to raise it as a single parent due to his religious beliefs, forcing me to choose between keeping my baby and a forced marriage or freedom from his overbearing control.

As I write this, It’s been 1 year to the day since my abortion, and I still love my baby more than ever. I will be forever grateful to the nurse who held my hand and stroked my hair as I cried during the procedure.

I celebrate my baby’s life on every occasion I can, in September on what would have been my due date, and today, the day I said goodbye to my perfect baby, to recognise and celebrate the 11 precious weeks I got to carry him.

I’m glad for the option of an abortion so I have a chance to build a life which I can bring a future child into and with a partner who is caring and loving. In the year since, I have bought my first home, celebrated exam passes towards my chartered accountancy profession and forgiven myself for making a decision that I almost allowed to destroy me.

I love my baby and I will never forget him.