Woman told she'd never have children found out she was pregnant on Christmas Day

Kerry Proctor, 27, had never had a period and was told by doctors that there was 'no hope' of her becoming a mother thanks to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Christmas gift - little Jackson was born in Basildon Hospital

Loving mum - Kelly was told she would never have children

Devastated Kelly threw away her contraceptive pill in despair.

But just five months later, on a Christmas trip to Amsterdam with her partner Chris Baxter, 32, she began to feel nauseous and after taking a test found she was pregnant with their first child.

The couple, from Thurrock, have now welcomed their 'Christmas miracle' - little boy Jackson, who was born in August 2017, weighing 8lbs 15oz.

Kerry, who works at Hamleys toy shop, said: ''At first I just didn't believe the test result said positive so we went out again to buy two more tests.

''I still didn't want to fully get my hopes up, but it was an incredible feeling.

''I'd been told I had zero chance of carrying a child naturally and wouldn't be able to get pregnant.

''I'd been feeling so low after the news, that's why we'd gone away for Christmas, I just needed to get away and be alone with my boyfriend.

''My sister, who I love, had just had a baby too so it was especially hard to be around that.

''So to find out I was in fact pregnant after all, on the most magical day of the year too, it was just so special.''

Kerry was diagnosed with PCSO syndrome in 2008 when she was just 16.

Her mum, Maria Proctor, 51, an Ikea cashier, became concerned that she hadn't started her period.

After tests, her GP confirmed she had PCSO and explained that she might struggle to have children.

But it was only after a whirlwind romance with, Chris, in 2015 that she began to worry about her fertility.

She said: ''I knew I had the condition, but I don't think I realised how severe my case was and just pushed it to the back of my mind.

''And I definitely wasn't thinking about having kids at that time.

''It wasn't until I'd been with Chris for about six months and we started to talk about a five year plan that I admitted I might find it hard to conceive.

''He was really proactive and we went to the doctor the next week.

''I had six or seven appointments for blood tests, scans, consultations with specialists, and I wasn't really too worried.

''But then early one morning, a few weeks after my last appointment, the doctor called and said he had bad news.

''They then told me that I'd never be able to conceive as my PCOS was so severe.

''I was in total shock, I went to work as normal but then broke down at my desk later that day.

''It's a very, very hard thing to hear as a woman.

''I felt like my chance to be a mum had just been snatched away, it was heartbreaking.

''Chris was so supportive and said we had other options when the time is right, but I didn't want to think about it.

''I couldn't bare to look at women pushing prams in the street, I'd cross to the other side and even found it hard to be around my mate's kids too.

''I felt quite depressed after that, I tried really hard to push it all to the back on my mind but I couldn't do it.''

Kerry found the news even harder to take when her older sister, Stacey, 32, announced that she was expecting her first child - who was due in early December.

Despite wanting to spend Christmas with her family, Kerry decided it would be 'too hard' to be around a newborn and so decided to go away.

They booked to stay in The Apollo Hotel, in central Amsterdam, for three nights.

She said: ''I was so happy for my sister, but it was just too hard being around her heavily pregnant and I knew it would be even worse once my nephew was born.

''I've always loved Amsterdam and Chris had never been so we decided it would be a good place to visit.

''It was lovely and chilly and festive there.

''I was really craving pancakes, although I had no idea why at the time, so we ate a lot of those.

''I had been feeling nauseous on and off but put it down to a bug.

''I was exhausted the whole time too, we had to keep stopping for rests as my legs were aching, which wasn't like me at all.

''After the second day, I thought back to all the symptoms my sister had just had with her pregnancy and so thought I'd do a test just to put my mind at rest.

''We were really lucky that there was a pharmacy open near where we were staying and so we rushed out on Christmas morning to buy a test.

''They came in packs of two so when the first one came back positive, and I didn't believe it, I decided to do the next one right away!

''I then sent Chris out for another pack of two, I couldn't take it in.''

Believing that PCOS can cause false pregnancy results, Kerry refused to accept her positive results until she'd been seen by a doctor.

After returning to the UK on Boxing Day the couple had to wait over two weeks, until the 13th January 2017, for an appointment at Basildon Hospital.

She said: ''The nurse confirmed that I was 13 weeks pregnant and I think I was still in disbelief that I was actually going to be a mum.

''I'd been so upset that I never would have a baby and so it was like I was scared to believe it.

''It wasn't until I told my mum later that day that it actually started sinking in.

''We found out that we were expecting a boy at the 20-week scan, I'd always wanted a son, I call him my little miracle."

After an easy pregnancy Kerry gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Jackson Baxter, now two, on 13 August 2017, weighing 8lbs 15oz, at Basildon Hospital.

She said: ''The birth was a scary experience but so worth it.

''Jackson has defied all the odds to be here, he really is my Christmas miracle.''