A LONG TIME COMING HOME

In this week’s issue of That’s Life! magazine, First Features client Kelly Easton tells the heart-wrenching tale of a mother who was wrongly separated from her own children.

Following a horrific accident when one of her daughters was just a few months old, Kelly was investigated by police and social services then separated from her two daughters for eight years!

But Kelly showed that a mother’s love knows no bounds and her strength and perseverance carried her through countless court hearings and meetings with the authorities until they finally admitted last year that she’d done nothing wrong and the children belonged with her.

“I was over the moon to get my girls back but I was left with the feeling that things like this are happening all over the country and I felt the need to speak out about it,” Kelly told us when she first contacted us last year.

For Kelly, telling her story wasn’t about money or fame – she wanted to highlight what she feels to be a flaw in the system, and we were able to give her the opportunity to do so by getting her tale of courage into one of the most widely read UK women’s weekly magazines.

“I wanted people to see what’s going on behind closed doors and I’ve achieved that,” she says. “Telling my story was a really emotional experience but seeing it in print feels great. I feel like I’ve given a voice to the hundreds of families up and down the country who are struggling with social services. And this is just the beginning. I’m continuing to work with First Features to raise awareness and get my story heard by as many people as possible.”

Sometimes it’s easy to feel powerless and insignificant in the face of huge institutions like the government, police force, Crown Prosecution Service, the NHS or even social services. But here at First Features we believe that everyone should have a voice. And we make it our aim to get those voices heard.

If you have had a negative, unusual, or shocking experience that you think people should be aware of, now is your chance to be heard. Pick up the phone and talk to us, and you never know – you could reach thousands of readers.

 Call us on 020 7703 8000 or email info@firstfeatures.co.uk for more information. It’s time to speak out!

First Features is Swamped with Support for Brave Zara

Tracey and Zara Spread the Word about Lipodystrophy

Readers from all over the country have been visiting our web pages and contacting us with messages of advice and support for brave teen Zara Hartshorn and her mum, Tracey Pollard.

As First Features’ followers will know, Tracey and Zara both suffer from a rare genetic condition which causes them to look much older than they are.

We have been helping them in their campaign to raise awareness of the illness, known as lipodystrophy and to find a cure for 13-year old Zara.

The pair, who have been working with us for about six months appear in today’s Daily Mirror and we have been inundated with emails and calls from fellow sufferers, support groups, TV programmes and production companies.

Hopefully Tracey and Zara are now one step closer to finding the treatment that could change their lives.

If you suffer from a rare illness or have something to campaign about, First Features may be able to help you find the help, advice or support you need by getting your story published in the national media.

Why not visit our website at www.firstfeatures.co.uk or give us a call on 020 7703 8000.