Gemma Collins reveals plans to become a foster carer on Good Morning Britain after struggling to conceive
The reality star, 43, was inspired by her mum who grew up in a foster home.
She spoke up on her plans as the national fostering group warned of a caring crisis.
The Towie star invited Good Morning Britain into her home and told viewers: “I make a good dinner. I’ve got a lot of love to give.”
She said finding her family on Who Do You Think You Are gave her the idea.
One key part of her family history is her mother Joan’s story, who was sadly abandoned at the hospital as a baby.
“Why was she left at the hospital? Why did they never come back for her?” Gemma questioned on the show, before revealing her mother “never talks about it.”
“I just think it’s too painful for her to go there,” the star continued.
It comes a year after Gemma told of the devastating moment doctors advised her to terminate her pregnancy after they told her the unborn baby “was not right”.
In a heart-rending podcast, the Towie star revealed staff had found that the baby was intersex.
Gemma, 43, sobbed as she candidly opened up on the medical instruction after suffering three previous miscarriages.
The telly favourite has made no secret of her desire to become a mum with partner Rami Hawash, 49.
She has always been frank about her desire for a family.
She said on the Everything I Know About Me podcast: “Something is not right, they said to me your baby could be a hermaphrodite.
“You can imagine I had no idea what the word was. I had to look it up. It was a real shock.
“They advised me you need to have a termination because this baby is not going to be right.”
Gemma got tearful as she added: “In a single instant, I learned that I’d been carrying a baby and lost it, meaning that once again I found my longstanding dreams of motherhood shattered into pieces.”
An intersex person is born with both male and female characteristics. This could be genitalia, hormones, internal anatomy or chromosomes and is a spectrum.
Conditions include Partial Androgen Insensitivity in which a person has a vulva, but no womb, and testes.
The term “hermaphrodite” comes from mythology and is preferably not used among people who are intersex, according to interACT, an advocate group for young people who are intersex.
Baby loss
Gemma sadly suffered her first miscarriage in 2012.
Eight years later she suffered a second miscarriage during the coronavirus pandemic.
She is now a bonus mum to Rami’s son Tristan, aged five.
Mum mission
She admitted she was still “holding onto the dream” of becoming a mum last year.
The star, who has polycystic ovary syndrome, said: “I pray every night that everything’s going to work out for me.
“Having a miscarriage with someone you love very much was very heartbreaking.”
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common condition that means the ovaries do not regularly release eggs and can make pregnancy difficult.
Gemma’s baby hopes were given a boost in December when F Word chef Gordon Ramsay‘s wife Tana, 49, gave birth to their sixth child.
At the time, she said: “The Tana Ramsay news was the greatest thing to wake up to. Incredible.”
“It really made me think positively about my future and kind of took the pressure off.
“I don’t think anyone knew she was pregnant, so it was a lovely surprise, but I got butterflies in my stomach when I saw it.”
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Gemma admitted she had to look up what intersex meant as she wasn’t sure[/caption]
Medics told the star she would need a termination as ‘something wasn’t right’[/caption]
What does it mean to be ‘intersex’?
A person who is intersex has both male and female characteristics, such as internal organs, genitalia or chromosomes that don’t fit the definition of male or female.
There are several conditions that fall under intersex, making it a bit like a spectrum.
And to be intersex is not rare – around 1.7 per cent of people are estimated to be so.
Other terms for intersex are differences in sex development (DSD) and hermaphrodite, which is outdated and considered offensive.
How might someone who is intersex look?
A person who is intersex could have:
- Male of female genitalia but on the insides, anatomy of the other sex, such as testes or a uterus
- Have genitals that appear something in between male or female
- A large clitoris, or small testicles, or a urethra that is not at the end of a penis but near to the perineum
When is it diagnosed?
It is typically noticed at birth and a baby will go through tests, such as an ultrasound, to understand a clear diagnosis.
The NHS says: “In England you need to register your baby’s birth within 42 days. This is usually enough time to complete the tests, discuss the results with your child’s care team and identify your baby’s sex.”
However, sometimes differences are not spotted until puberty or even adulthood, such as when a person does not have periods because they don’t have female hormones or internal organs, despite having a vagina.
It’s even possible for a person to never realise they are intersex.
What happens next?
Intersex isn’t something that is considered a disease or something to be ‘fixed’.
Medical intervention may happen if there are serious medical problems.
Some people who are intersex may consider altering the appearance of their genitals, having hormone therapy or psychological support.
But intersex should not be confused with transgender.
Many organisations, such as the Human Rights Watch, say surgery for young intersex children is not necessary and parents should hold of making decisions until their child is old enough to decide themselves.
Others say parents should make their own informed decisions.
Examples of conditions
- Complete Androgen Insensitivity
- Partial Androgen Insensitivity
- Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
- Swyer’s
- Klinefelter’s
- Hypospadias
For more information, see interACT or DSD Families.
