Edinburgh mum opens up on 'heartbreaking' moment premature twins were taken away

An Edinburgh beauty queen and Miss GB runner-up has spoken of the moment her premature twins were taken away.

Veronika Walker 34, said it was "heartbreaking" when she didn't get to have that first cuddle with her newborns before they were rushed to incubators.

After her twins Emily and Andrew were born five weeks early in 2017, Veronika and her husband Chris became committed to raising funds for Simpsons Special Care Babies - who were "fantastic" during the difficult experience.

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Veronika is also raising funds for Women's Aid, as she organises the upcoming Miss GB Edinburgh event. Both causes are close to her heart, and have helped her at pivotal moments in her life.

Speaking to Edinburgh Live, she said: "I have twins with my husband, who were born prematurely by five and a half weeks in 2017.

"I remember spending weeks in the hospital, and it wasn’t a great experience. However looking back, in some ways it was a fantastic experience.

"Simpsons and the neonatal unit helped us so much. When I gave birth, they never gave me a first cuddle with the twins.

"I heard they couldn’t breathe, and they got taken to the incubator."

Simpsons Special Care Babies is run 100 per cent by volunteers, who hope to ensure all babies admitted to the Neonatal Unit, within the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, receive the best possible care.

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While it's an experience no parent ever hopes for, Veronika said staff made it easier on the family. She continued: "It's something you never want to go through.

"That being said, everything was fantastically organised. The team was so supportive.

"When they came to pick us up to show us where the kids were and to see the little bundles with the closed eyes, and the masks, and tubes all over their bodies, and monitors in the background - it was heartbreaking.

"We were lucky, our children were healthy in all ways. It was heartbreaking to see the children next door, which were even half the size of ours."

Since her experience, Veronika has made it her mission to help continue the important work at Simpsons. She said witnessing what nurses do for each of the babies was "amazing".

Veronika added: "Some of the children didn't have anyone to come to them, so the nurses were cuddling them and holding them and singing to them.

"It was fantastic to see. When we left they gave us woollen hats for the babies, and I tracked down the woman who made them.

"We commissioned her to make 1000 hats for the babies and covered the cost - and that was the beginning of us working to support Simpsons. It's not just the unit, it's the personality of the nurses and doctors and everybody involved.

"If someone is worried about going to the neonatal unit, I would put their minds at ease by saying they are in very good hands."

The charity work involved with Miss GB Edinburgh reaches further than Simpsons, with profits also being sent to Women's Aid. Veronika first reached out to the organisation in 2012.

She told us: "I was in a toxic relationship.

"My previous relationship, I had to go and speak to Women's Aid because I needed help. I feel so grateful that I met them in my life, and I have an opportunity to give back.

"Hopefully I can inspire other ladies to get out of relationships they don't want to be in - and start to love themselves."

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Speaking to the Sunday Mail back in February, Veronika said she travelled to Scotland to flee her abusive ex-partner and found “true happiness”.

She said: "When people look at me they see a confident happy beauty queen with three beautiful kids, an amazing husband and a good life but they have no idea what I've been through to get to this point.

"I want other women in abusive relationships to see that there is a way out and a chance at a better future. It's been 11 years since I escaped from my ex-partner and although I will never be able to forget what happened to me, I have found true happiness with a loving man.

"Back in the dark days I never dreamed that I would come runner-up in one of the UK's biggest beauty competitions."

Veronika said: "He'd kick me and punch me. He broke my jaw and my ribs. I'd leave him and then he'd tell me he'd changed and beg me to go back and I did but after a few days being the perfect boyfriend giving me flowers, the beatings would start again. This cycle lasted for four years, as he had so much control over me.

"I knew enough was enough when the beatings became that frequent I couldn't hide the bruises. I loved London but had to run away to escape him."

Veronika is now putting everything she's got into raising funds for the charity's that have helped her, and looks forward to the Miss GB Edinburgh event in July.

She told us: "It’s a fantastic event.

"I have a little team, mostly my friends and some family who are helping to pull the event together. It will be on such a lovely scale. This is my first year as a regional director. I’m excited, it's a lot to organise and to deliver a brilliant experience for those attending - and those taking part.

"I’ve been involved in Miss GB last year, where I came first runner up. I was the only Scottish contestant, travelling to England all the time. It could be a little too expensive to travel, it’s time consuming, and I’m a mum-of-three as well. I wanted to give opportunities to the ladies on this side of Great Britain to experience what I experienced.

"When people hear the word pageant, they think it’s still old-timey thinking from the 1970s. Nowadays, it’s not like this. We’re more than a pretty face. We have much more to offer to our community, to the ladies out there who may be looking for inspiration or empowerment.

"We are strongly involved in the charity side. Last year, we raised awareness and funds for Cancer Awareness UK and Alex’s Wish. I thought it would be nice to have Miss GB Edinburgh, with two winners - Miss and Ms - who will both go on to the next stage and compete for the Miss GB title."

The Miss GB Edinburgh event is being held on July 6 at Prestonfield House, with tickets available here.

You can find out more about Simpsons Special Care Babies here, with more on Women's Aid available here.