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Following my grandmother through the strange house, a feeling of unease came over me.

That feeling only intensified when we walked into a dark, silent room with nothing but a table inside. 

Then I saw them. Knives, razors and a bowl with oil laid out and two women sitting and staring at me.  

At that moment I knew exactly why we were there.

On that day, they made me one of the more than 230 million girls and women alive today who have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM).

That’s something I can never forgive or forget.

My parents were very young when I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and at the time my mum got pregnant, she was only 17 and my father was 20. 

Being born a child of young parents, though, meant I was sent to live with and be raised by my grandmother. She became my mother, my comfort, my everything. 

She worked hard running a small shop to support us, and even though that meant I spent a lot of time alone, I never doubted how much she cared. When she came home, she would bring me little sweets or braid my hair while telling me stories. 

When I was 16, she told me that we were going on a holiday – I had never been on holiday before, it truly felt like a dream come true. 

I went and packed my luggage thinking I was going back to the village I grew up in. But on the way, she said we needed to make a stop to go and see someone I had never met before.  

I didn’t question this at all. I trusted my grandmother completely.

When we arrived at the strange house, a tall woman – who looked scary to me with her long dress, head wrap and a stern-looking face – opened the door.

Something in me felt unsettled, and when the door shut behind us, the sound echoed in my chest. 

That’s when I first felt the fear creeping in. 

She led us into a dark, silent room with the knives and table. My heart sank. I understood why we were there. 

I had heard of being cut, but only in whispers – I didn’t know what it really meant. I knew my grandmother had been cut, but no one ever talked about it openly. It was treated like a rite of passage, something girls were simply meant to go through. 

I was confused and afraid, but my grandmother told me that it was necessary – that it was something done to make me a woman in our culture, and it was done out of love. The heartbreaking truth is that she really believed that. 

But this isn’t true, of course. FGM has no health benefits whatsoever, and actually does more harm to the natural functions of a girl’s and a woman’s body.

In the immediate aftermath complications can include severe pain, excessive bleeding (haemorrhage), infections, and in some cases death. Longer term issues can be everything from urinary problems to childbirth complications. 

All this on top of the immeasurable number of psychological scars that FGM survivors are left with.

However, my grandmother didn’t know this – she wasn’t trying to hurt me. She was trying to protect me, the only way she knew how. She believed it would secure my place in our community, give me respect, and prepare me for womanhood.

I decided to put up a fight. I fought with everything I had. I screamed, I kicked, I tried to run. But before I knew it, I was on the floor.

One of the cutters sat on my chest and the other two held my arms and legs down. Then, with a piece of metal that wasn’t even too sharp, the cutters began the cutting. The pain was unimaginable. 

I was screaming until I couldn’t anymore. Through my tears, I saw my grandmother standing at the door. She was crying. She didn’t say anything. I think at that moment, her heart broke too. 

I was made to lay down on the floor for hours after and we then stayed in that house for two days. The bleeding took time to stop, I was weak and in pain. 

I had constant infections and urinary issues. It was a pain no one could understand and I endured all of it in silence. 

Summer passed and I had to go back to school and ‘normality’ – not that I ever felt ‘normal’ again. I was changed – I felt isolated and ashamed. I withdrew from friends and stopped laughing like I used to. 

My relationship with my grandmother changed too. For a long time, I couldn’t speak to her about what happened. But with time, I came to understand that she didn’t do it out of cruelty, it was misguided love.

That understanding helped me find peace with her, even if I never forgot what was done. 

I got into university, and during my final year, I met the man who is now my husband. 

He came from a culture that didn’t practice FGM and explaining what I’d been through wasn’t easy. But he listened and held space for me with no judgment. I felt truly seen and accepted. 

We moved to London in 1998 and luckily were able to have three beautiful children together.

Not all women and girls who are survivors of FGM are able to have this so I feel truly blessed. I never take that for granted, and I promised myself that my daughters will never be cut. 

In 2021, I founded Women of Grace, a UK-based survivor-led organisation working to end FGM and all forms of gender-based violence. 

We support survivors through trauma-informed counselling, safe spaces and legal guidance.

We go into schools and communities to educate, train frontline workers, teachers, doctors and social workers so they know how to identify girls at risk and how to act with sensitivity and care.

We advocate for policy change both in the UK and globally, ensuring survivor voices are at the centre of the conversation. 

And most of all, we create hope. 

Even though the World Health Organization passed a resolution in 2008 to eliminate FGM, it is still practiced in more than 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, leaving 4 million girls at risk every year.

We must take a stand.

FGM is not tradition. It’s not care. It is violence rooted in inequality. It is a denial of girls’ rights to their bodies, their choices and their futures. 

But it can be stopped, and we are stopping it – one conversation, one intervention, one girl at a time. 

Earlier this year, a letter arrived unexpectedly in the post. I remember opening it slowly, rereading it several times to be sure I’d understood it correctly.

I was being appointed an MBE in the 2026 New Year’s Honours.

I felt overwhelmed with gratitude and emotion. It was humbling, affirming, and deeply moving not just for me, but for everyone who has walked this journey with me and believed in the work of protecting women and girls.

No girl or woman should have to suffer like I did. And because of Women of Grace, many never will. 

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. 

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’Tis the season for indulgence. That is, until you’re flat on the sofa, regretting that extra glass of Baileys and clutching a painfully full tummy that feels seconds away from bursting through your festive, fleece pyjamas.

But if you’re battling the post-Christmas sludge, shoppers say this supplement can banish the bloat fast.

The Balance My Gut powder from Selfish Supps is £29 at Boots and works as a daily biotic blend of micro-blues and phyto-greens, turbo-charged with sea moss, blue spirulina and chlorella.

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It comes in a blueberry flavour that customers say delivers a deliciously sweet hit without any artificial sweeteners. Just mix it with water, or whatever you’re drinking, and for best results, take it ahead of your meal to give your digestion the extra support it needs.

‘My bloating has vanished in a really short space of time,’ Julie said in her review. ‘And it’s really tasty either on its own or in a smoothie. Recommend!’

Will insisted that the difference was huge after just weeks of taking the supplement, explaining: ‘I’ve struggled with that sluggish, ‘heavy’ feeling for ages, especially after big meals. I decided to try Balance My Gut based on a friend’s recommendation here in Australia. I’ve been taking it daily for about three weeks now, and the difference is massive.’

He added: ‘I feel genuinely less bloated and much lighter throughout the day. It’s become a non-negotiable part of my morning routine, and it’s definitely helping me feel more balanced and energetic.’

Francesca also said the results were rapid, insisting she’d been flooded with positive comments about her glowing skin too.

‘I’ve been taking this daily for a couple of weeks now and I’m really impressed so far! I noticed a difference after just a few uses – less bloating and everything feels more balanced. I’ve also been getting extra comments in work about my glowing skin, which I think is linked to using this product. It actually tastes good too, which was a nice surprise. Super easy to take and feels like it’s really working. Definitely planning to keep using it.’

So why not take the plunge? Judging from the reviews, your tummy will certainly thank you for it!

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Over the past week, celebrity deaths seem to have dominated headlines.

From Brigitte Bardot to Chris Rea, it may feel like every second notification that pops up on your phone right now brings yet another morbid announcement.

But this isn’t a new phenomenon for 2025, nor is it restricted to famous names; death rates spike across the board around this time of year.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), fatalities peak in January and December, with these two months accounting for almost 20% of the annual total.

The most recent figures available show that 1,269 people died each day in September 2016 on average, compared to 1,487 and 1,588 in December and January respectively. All in, there were over 10,000 fewer deaths in September than either of these months.

Why do death rates rise around Christmas and New Year?

While part of the increase in ‘excess mortality’ during winter may be down to colder weather, the ONS claims this is a seasonal issue affecting ‘mainly elderly people and those who already have serious health problems.’

Dr Suzanne Wylie, GP and medical adviser for IQdoctor, is among the many professionals who witness an ‘observable increase in deaths’ around Christmas and New Year.

Typically, this is due to cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness such as pneumonia and flu, complications of chronic conditions like COPD and heart failure, and infections.

Beyond specific causes of death, though, Dr Wylie tells Metro it’s often a case of ‘several risk factors coinciding at once’, adding: ‘Christmas can be a time of joy, but it also highlights existing vulnerabilities, both medical and social, which can sadly contribute to poorer outcomes for some patients.’

Healthcare access

One big issue at play here is a shift in healthcare access and uptake during the festive period.

‘Healthcare services are under increased pressure, with reduced access to routine GP appointments and some community services scaled back, which can delay assessment and treatment,’ says Dr Wylie.

‘Patients themselves may also be more reluctant to seek medical help over the festive period, not wanting to “make a fuss” or disrupt family plans.’

Certain demographics are particularly vulnerable without support; especially older adults, those living alone or with multiple long-term conditions.

‘Frail patients can deteriorate quickly if they develop an infection, become dehydrated, or experience a fall,’ Dr Wylie adds.

Festive excess

Changes to our eating, drinking and sleeping habits are another reason we see increased fatalities around Christmas and New Year.

Dr Wylie notes: ‘Dietary excess, increased alcohol consumption, disrupted sleep and missed medications, can all exacerbate underlying health conditions, particularly in those with heart disease or diabetes.’

According to one study, heart attacks peak around Christmas Eve, which researchers argue is likely due to people engaging in ‘potentially stressful social interactions and provocative behaviours they would not normally expose themselves to.’

As a result, ‘twixmas’ (between December 26 and January 1) is often a busy time in hospitals and doctors’ surgeries, with healthcare workers tackling ‘a surge of acute presentations that may have been brewing for some time’ and ‘admissions related to falls, alcohol-related harm, and exacerbations of chronic disease.’

Winter weather

Even when people avoid overindulging, certain illnesses – which can prove fatal when someone is in poor health – are more common in winter.

‘Cold weather places additional strain on the body, increasing blood pressure and the risk of heart attacks and strokes, while respiratory viruses circulate more readily when people spend more time indoors,’ Dr Wylie says.

People with chronic respiratory disease are at greatest risk when it comes to winter viruses, while those with cardiovascular disease are likely to be worst affected by a drop in temperature.

Mental ill health

While (contrary to popular belief) December has the lowest reported suicide rate of any month, numbers often surge after Christmas, which has been blamed on a ‘rebound effect’ as the festive season ends. 

Especially for people experiencing social isolation, homelessness, or significant mental health difficulties, Dr Wylie highlights that ‘Christmas can intensify feelings of loneliness, depression and distress.’

And as New Year approaches, researchers argue many deal with ‘unmet expectations’ of social connection and support during the holidays, leading to ‘frustration and disappointment which may trigger suicidal reactions’.

The ‘holding on’ phenomenon

‘Many clinicians notice that patients – particularly those with a terminal illness – sometimes “hold on” until after Christmas, seemingly determined to reach the milestone of the festive period with their family,’ says Dr Wylie.

In this year’s Gone Fishing Christmas special, Bob Mortimer shared a similar story about his beloved late father-in-law who passed awayfollowing a long battle with serious illness — just moments after the family told him they loved him on a visit to the hospital on Christmas Day 2024.

Although there’s no scientific evidence that people can time their death, many healthcare professionals tell of people who defied the odds to survive a major holiday or significant event, only to die immediately thereafter.

On a Reddit thread discussing this phenomenon, hospice nurse Infactinfarctinfart wrote: ‘I’ve seen patients wait for weddings, births, visitors etc, and I’ve discussed it with hospice providers who have witnessed the same thing.

‘One provider told me that they think it has to do with the autonomic nervous system: their adrenaline is keeping them going. Once the anticipation is over, their body can relax and let go.

‘This is why it’s important for loved ones to give the dying person “permission” to pass. They’re too scared to let go or too scared to leave loved ones who still “need” them.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.